Accessing Harmony:
                   Living in Meditation

Have you ever experienced a truly synchronous moment in time? A place where the flow of energy was perfect, full of unexpected surprises and nothing seemed go wrong? You may know what this feels like during your attempts to gain greater clarity. If you haven’t don’t worry everything comes in time.

It's almost perfection when you access that place where your life is in “sync” on every level. At first you experience these moments on an infrequent basis. Flowing moments are memorable because when you enter that peaceful "zone" you feel like you are taking a breath of fresh air like never before.

Life can be a continual series of beautiful interconnected moments which flow with ease. In contrast, when you leave this “zone” your life can become a steep uphill climb where everything seems to fold into great confusion and chaos.

Let go of the hurried life you’ve been living, release your negative energies and vibrate to the frequency of love and acceptance. Doing that all at once can be a tall order for anyone. Don’t expect to happen all at one. This is unrealistic. Be gentle and forgiving of yourself whenever you feel that you are not moving forward fast enough.

Many of the priorities established in your life are really illusions based on worry and fear. Evaluate the things in your life that restrict your natural flow of energy. Create positive changes whenever you can. No matter what happens though, judgment is the killer of all that you are seeking.

Try to become aware of the energy in your life. Notice when things flow more naturally than at other times. When it is not, you feel stuck. At these particular moments you could be trying to force your energy- rather than allow it. The real truth is you are seeking to locate something that is already inside. Seeing this pattern in yourself can make it easier to stay on the path which will lead you to harmony.

Also, you must trust yourself to hear what your inner guidance it telling you. If you do not follow your own intuition, you cannot succeed very well in your search. Inner conflict can cause you to become lost in the often chaotic physical world.

You are a spiritual being who originated from a universal source comprised of pure, unconditional love. As you learn to express this spiritual energy within yourself, you become better able to touch that magical place of free-flowing manifestation.

Likewise, if you are bound by the heavy energies of fear, judgment and anger, your access this energy flow is blocked. A lot of your life is spent in one way or another trying to clear this energy or weight from yourself. Don’t be disheartened. You can learn to heal them, layer by layer, and live a life of non-resistance and acceptance. By doing this, you can succeed on spiritual quest of remaining in this special "zone" of harmony.

You are the conscious creator of your own existence. Deep inside you is the knowledge that you have the power to access the natural flow of all universal energies. You don’t have to fight or manipulate the energy, but rather allow it to work in harmony through you. You always have the choice to allow the flow or grasp it tightly. This is a choice you are making each and every day.

Allowing creates opportunities for manifestation that were previously blocked to become a reality. You can truly have your heart's desires for well-being and greater consciousness. Your human quest can at last be satisfied by using the tools you will have after you get to know your self. It is possible to access that magical, existence of harmony, balance and synchronicity much of the time. One of the most helpful ways to be mindful and grow spiritually is meditation.

Your busy self can raise objections: "There’s simply no time". "I am too tired." "I just can’t sit still". A common misperception is that true meditation is sitting on a cushion for an hour clearing your mind. This is not really the case. This belief can be a barrier to even starting a healthy practice. When I started my meditation practice, I could only focus myself for 5 minutes. Starting a meditation practice should go slowly. Don’t set yourself up for failure and discouragement by jumping in without realistic goals.

There are other ways to meditate and be mindful that are not about sitting still for a long time. It easy not consider them as meditation or even see the many opportunities you have each day to create harmony

Here are useful ways to find time for meditation and reflection:

• Make a Scheduled Time- If you wish to begin a traditional meditation practice, set aside time for it. If you don’t have meditation time that is specific it can be much easier to get distracted and skip it.
• Take Time for Moments of Stillness- It is a practicality that you are busy trying to take care of yourself, family and our other obligations. But is very simple to take a few minutes to stop yourself in the present moment and be aware of your breath and busy thoughts. Then begin again in a few minutes with a more centered point of view.
• Start the Day with Appreciation and Gratitude- There are actually a lot of easy ways to do this. One of the ways I love to do this is to sit outside in warm weather drinking coffee or tea and simply be with the morning. I listen to the birds talking to each other. It is an awesome moment to experience the awakening of all sentient beings each day. This is just one example. Be creative, there are countless ways!
• Be Fully Present with Others- You have countless interactions with others each day. How often are you thinking of something else or several things at the same time? Stop yourself and focus on what the person is communicating to you. You’ll find a richer experience in life with taking the time to appreciate each person and living more in the moment. I try this with my four children. I stop what I am doing and focus on them with direct eye contact. Things flow more smoothly when I do because each child feels that I understand and hear them. This is the need of everyone not isn’t just children.
• Make Walking a Meditation- How much do you miss each day? When you become narrowly focused on where you are going, you miss where you are. Try noticing your footsteps, the surroundings, and the landscape of life all around you. This is an easy way of being present to life. Try to appreciate the myriad of details which are gifts to you. It is your precious human life so try not to miss it.
• Live each day as if it were your last- This is not at all a morbid outlook about life. The reality is that your lifetime is not infinite. You will leave this existence eventually. You never know when or where. People become ill in their lifetime and often have regrets. What if you lost a loved one and didn’t tell them how you felt or resolved an issue. Life is better spent communicating and experiencing what you have rather than holding back. Regrets cause more suffering than you realize.

As you can see meditation doesn’t have to be restricted to time on the cushion. Meditation and mindfulness can be present throughout each day. I have found that regular meditation on a cushion can be a profound experience however. Just start out slow and work your way up. Also, broaden your ideas of meditation practice. You can be more mindful and access more harmony if you incorporate some of these mentioned ideas. There are many other opportunities out there so feel free to incorporate mindfulness in your own unique way.

Till Next Month Blessings,
CJ Martes