Meditation of the week : Retreating

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Meditation of the week from cybermonks

http://www.interluderetreat.com/

 

Retreating

 

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" I have so much to accomplish today that I must meditate for two hours

instead of one. "

Mahatma Gandhi

 

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Life for most of us becomes routine. We do what we do day after day and

our level of stress becomes normal for us. Just as a loud noise will

not startle us if its volume increases gradually, if our stress builds

gradually, we may not even notice it. Tension, frustration, unresolved

anger and feeling unempowered can grow in us so subtly that they may

not reach our awareness.

 

We are vibrating beings. The breath rises and falls, our heart beats,

blood pumps, muscles contract and relax, brain activity fires in wave

patterns. As what we do and how we think becomes habit, we find

ourselves breathing, thinking and pulsing at our own frequencies. With

stress, our frequencies increase. We can find ourselves pulled taut and

vibrating like a violin string. On guard and under pressure, we need a

certain level of tension to carry on. If we are not alert enough, we

drink caffeine or consume sugar to give us a lift. As if it were not

enough to deal with our own lives, we read the newspaper and watch TV,

filling our minds with crime, war and trauma, which further adds to our

emotional tension. If we never intentionally calm ourselves, we run the

risk of growing increasingly unhappy, becoming less effective in our

activities and collecting aches, pains, and illnesses.

 

Seldom does the world of work and popular culture give us an experience

of peace. We need to create peace and calm for ourselves. That’s why

sometimes it is important to retreat to a quieter routine. Getting away

from it all can remind us of how we can be when the pressure is off, of

who we are in our natural condition.

 

To reduce your tension, create the intention to set aside quiet time

when you can let your vibrations settle at a lower frequency. Here are

some ideas for ways you can use that time.

 

Arrange time for solitude.

Meditate, pray, sing, chant, dance, or walk.

Do a labyrinth walk.

Stretch your body.

Practice yoga, tai chi, or chi kung.

Go to an organized spiritual retreat.

Spend time at a spa.

Take a warm bubble bath by candlelight.

Get a massage.

Visit a monastery for a few days.

Get out into nature.

Feed some birds.

Go camping with the intention of not doing too much.

Take a break from the news.

Leave off the TV.

Read something pleasant, but not stimulating.

Reduce the amount of caffeine and sugar you consume.

Mindfully prepare simple, healthy food for yourself.

Meditatively create something.

Write in your journal.