Since 1990, meditation has been a major presence in my life. The shape and focus of my meditation practice have shifted and developed over time, but sitting and being still every day have not. I am very grateful that my life direction has supported my ability to honor the practice of daily meditation since I first thought, some twenty years ago, “I’ll give this meditation thing a try.”

 

The Benefits Of Meditation

I know I am supposed to write a list of all the benefits of meditation to convince you to do it. Truthfully, there are too many, plus the list would change daily if I wanted to stay current. For me, the aspect of a daily meditation practice that I am typically most grateful for is the experience of being present. Sharing with another person what “being present” feels like, or what it has cultivated in my life, is like trying to tell someone what love feels like and why it’s good if they have never experienced it. I am amused by today’s abundance of cute paperback books on mindfulness and being present, marketed for anyone and everyone, regardless of their lifestyle or personal/spiritual commitments.

“My son was having trouble figuring out his career and direction in life in general. After just three sessions with Michael, he had a plan and started taking steps! I am so thrilled we found Michael!” Liz

My Style Of Meditation

I often feel like I come from the Shaquille O’Neal School of Meditation. For those of you who do not follow sports, Shaquille O’Neal was a basketball player who was often fouled and took more free throws than any other player in the league at the time. One would assume that, since he was a trained, professional athlete and wanted to master his craft, Mr. O’Neal would excel at free-throw shooting, or at least be proficient, given the amount of practice and repetition. He never achieved even mediocrity as a free-throw shooter. I have always felt that this is my experience as a meditation practitioner. Just because I do it a lot doesn’t mean I am any good at it! I am certainly more competent and skilled than when I started, but mediation practice is a practice, not perfection; at least, that is my experience, and it informs my teaching.

If you are feeling moved to begin or strengthen your meditation practice, I may be able to help. Before we go any further, I must share with you that it’s not easy and takes relentless commitment to sustain until we begin to experience the fruits of our labor. They rarely come quickly. Meditation is not a microwave process, more like a wood stove; it takes a while to get warmed up.

Sitting Still Doing Nothing – Meditation Training Experiences

“The essential Taoist approach to life is captured in the phrase ching-jing wu-wei, literally, ‘sitting still doing nothing.’

‘Doing nothing’ doesn’t mean sitting around all day like a lump on a log, but rather doing only those things that really need to be done and doing them in a way that does not run counter to the natural order of Tao and the patterned flow of cosmic forces.

It means engaging only in spontaneous, unpremeditated activity, doing things purely for their own sake rather than for ulterior motives, and living in harmony with rather than trying to conquer nature. Perhaps most importantly, wu-wei means knowing when to stop rather than overdoing things and knowing when to refrain entirely from inappropriate action.”

Daniel P. Reid The Tao of Health, Sex and Longevity

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