06/12/2019
Mahatma Gandhi
"Happiness is when what you think, say and do are in harmony."
Philippians 4:8
Meditate on truth, what is pure, right and holy.
My fist experience with a psychotherapist was over thirty years ago. One of the first things he said to me was "your head and your heart are not connected. Thus, started the road of meditation.
I had been raised in an environment where there was no connection of "think", "say", "do". The very classic, religiously, fundamental teaching of Sunday morning had nothing to do with 6 and 3/4 days of the remaining week. As a child I was hauled off to church with everyone kicking and screaming . But, somehow, by the time we entered the doors there were happy faces. This was the set-up of how I believed people floated through life with no connection of thought and action. (I have also come to understand how ministers have affairs and priests can mo**st children).
True meditation integrated thought and action for me. The first step for me was to choose a word or thought to concentrate on and would also be my goal. INTEGRATE. Second, I created a rhythm for breathing. Third, I used a physical pattern to represent the internal. I placed my hand on my abdomen (inhaling), move my hand up to my head and back down to my abdomen (exhaling), while saying integrate.
This is not a difficult task. Ten minutes, twice a week made all the difference in the world. Thirty years later, if I do not do this simple exercise I may find myself confused, fatigued or off-track on what I consume. I have come to call this "stinkin thinkin". It's like having braces on your teeth and never wearing a retainer...you're right back where you started.
Many people find journaling helpful. If I find myself highly stressed, I need to journal before meditation.
Philippians states meditation is not an option and is specific on what to meditate: truth, purity, things that are right and holy. There are obvious levels. Truth is basic. If you are not truthful or cannot accept truth, then there is no point in trying to go further. Deception confuses everything else in life. GET REAL!
As a society, we are dying from deception. Why do we not want what is true and right? Why would someone not eat for nutrition or exercise for their heart? If we're unable to meditate on the basics, there is no way we're going to higher level things.
If you are not confident about meditation on your own, read a book, enroll in a class or get a mentor. The point is, don't go mindlessly through life. Connect with yourself. Reap the benefits of being fully integrated.
