Meditation - Sometimes the mind is busy, sometimes it’s not.

Do you ever have those meditations where all you seem to be experiencing is the everlasting flow of jibba-jabba circling within your mind, like a nonstop inundation of blehhhh. Yeah we’ll I just had one of those this afternoon and it reminded me of the importance of acceptance in our meditation practice.

It’s not always easy to accept things the way they are when we are so accustomed to having specific preferences in daily life, but the beauty of meditation and the wisdom that can arise the more we practice and reflect is that when we can let go of our preconceived notions, for example “meditation is about silence” or “I’m going to have a deep, thoughtless meditation”, then we open ourselves up to accept whatever is needed in that moment - like a thought filled meditation.

Instead of resisting and wishing it was different, I simply shrug my shoulders and go “oh, well I guess this is just how this is meant to go today.” And guess what!? As soon as I bring this attitude into my practice, the thoughts become quieter, I’m not saying they go away necessarily, but I’m saying they have less hold over me, less weight - like the good ol’ saying “like water off a ducks back”, they just pass by in my awareness like clouds across the sky.

How does this relate to daily life you ask?

Well, by cultivating this ability to be aware when we are being carried away, or overcome by thoughts and by acknowledging them and simply letting them go in our meditation, we also cultivate and strengthen this same ‘muscle’ of letting go in daily life. Meaning we are less effected by the ups and downs, our ability to let go becomes far quicker and more frequent, and we are able to be more present and connected to the moment at hand. Less effected by the past, less worried about the future and instead far more focused on NOW.