Brilliant Beings,
I hope this blog finds you healthy and adjusted to our new normal.
One of the great things about not having to rush off in the morning is that we can solidify our morning practice of meditation, prayer and or breath-work.
From reducing anxiety, to fostering positive moods, regular meditation practice has been scientifically proven to enhance mental health.
Whether you have a regular meditation practice already or you're looking to start one, this is the PERFECT time to further solidify or enhance your morning ritual.
Why Meditate?
Meditation is "to make friends with ourselves." This is my favorite explanation my meditation teacher gives. We sit to know ourselves so we can train ourselves to live from the inside, out.
In the practice of meditation, we go against our habitual need to constantly do and think. We break this pattern by sitting on our chair or cushion and staying with ourselves.
This is simple, but not easy.
In meditation we learn to be the observer of thoughts as opposed to identify with them.
So who cares? Why do this? It's boring.
Because gripping or resisting our thoughts is what creates suffering in our lives.
"I don't like her, but I really like him. I am this but I'm definitely not that."
Meditation teaches us to soften our gripping or resisting. Furthermore, if we become solely identified with our external worlds, we will forever be victims to that which is outside of us.
In meditation, we develop our inner muscle. We find ground in ourselves, so the external groundlessness doesn't knock us down quite so much.
Types of Meditation
Meditation can be broken down into two main categories: FORM and FORMLESS meditation.
FORM MEDITATION - In form meditation, we focus on something aside from just allowing thoughts to move through us. It may be an audio recording, a visualization, our breath or a candle.
FORMLESS MEDITATION - In formless meditation, we merely notice a thought as it comes, we label it thought, and we let it go. We become skilled at letting thoughts move through us and we remember we are the observer behind the thoughts. This is also known as Shamatha meditation, "peaceful abiding" or mindfulness meditation.
Both are wonderfully useful and it's worth experimenting with both styles.
A New Idea to Try..
If you've always only done formless meditation, it can be revitalizing to welcome some form meditation into your practice. Alternatively, if you've always done form meditation, to take your practice to the next level, try formless. It's more challenging and has significant impact on your daily life.
For years I only did formless meditation because it's how I was first trained. But I have found wonderful new inspiration from also adding form meditation into my daily routine.
Lately, I've been experimenting with Binaural Beats to use during my meditation. Binaural beats are "music" that plays two different beats, one in each ear that are slightly different in frequency. It creates an auditory illusion that induces the same brain frequency results as meditation, but much faster.
I find it soothing and inspiring. I do my formless meditation first, and then end with Binaural Beats and often simultaneously do visualization.
This week, I'd love to share with you some of my fav beats I've been using.
If you've been ambivalent about starting a meditation practice, this could be the very gateway to get you going.
Let me know what you think and happy meditating!
Brie
CLICK HERE for Brie's Brain Beats List
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