For the month of March, each day I am writing and posting a slice of my life, hosted by Two Writing Teachers.
March Slice of Life Challenge Day 2: Meditation Challenge
This past February I participated in Sharon Salzberg's Real Happiness Meditation Challenge. I spent about ten minutes each day formally meditating using guided meditations from Sharon Salzberg. This challenge covered four areas of meditation practice: concentration, mindfulness of the body, mindfulness of thoughts/emotions, and lovingkindness.
There were so many insights I gained about myself from meditating in February, including how often my mind is distracted and how devoting even a small amount of time can be incredibly helpful to my overall well-being.
For today's slice, I used a mantra ("May I be well; May I be peaceful") I learned from Sharon Salzberg in the form of an acrostic-from-phrases poem:
May what
I gleaned from meditating
be sticky in my mind so that I can work on
being mentally and physically well and at peace.
May I remember to focus on my breath,
so I can
be more present in life's moments,
instead of
focusing on past events
or anticipating the future.
I strive to be more
peaceful.
I learned about writing Acrostics-From-Phrases poems in the book Poetry Everywhere. To see another acrostic-from-phrases poem I wrote, click here.
This reminds me so much of a mantra Dani Shapiro uses.I tried find it just now so I could share it here with you... but can't. Meditating seems very powerful- I haven't tried it but want to.
ReplyDeleteOh, I would love to know the mantra from Dani Shapiro! This makes me want to read more from her.
DeleteI am absolutely NO expert, but I would suggest meditation in small steps. I have also used the Headspace app. There is a free part too.
I’ve tried to apply logic to meditation, but it doesn’t work. All I know is something transformative happens w/ meditation and yoga. Another wonderful poem, too.
ReplyDeleteFor me, I don't think meditation is so much about logic. I think that it's more about noticing and taking time to be present. It's hard for me to not get distracted!
DeleteI am intrigued with this form of poetry. A month of mindfulness gave you a taste of what it's like. Try another month or twelve and more. "Calm" app provides daily 10-min guided mindfulness exercises and a wide selection of others.
ReplyDeleteA month of mindfulness - yes, just a taste! I could definitely use a month (or a lifetime)! I have heard about the Calm app. I have also used the Headspace app.
DeleteI've established a meditation routine during the week, and love how it grounds me and gets me ready for the day. Thanks for the recommendation of a new resource; I will have to check out Salzberg! And the poem is a lovely way to incorporate your learning.
ReplyDeleteThanks! Meditation does really help me!
DeleteI think Sharon Salzberg only does this challenge every February, but she also has great books!
Two loves here, the meditation Andy how you wove a mantra into the poem. You are becoming my blog mentor texts. Thank you for the wonderful ideas.
ReplyDeleteThank you! What a lovely compliment, too...
DeleteThat is a good mantra.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful idea to write a poem around mantras.
Thank you! I am not sure how poetic it is, but it helped me reflect for sure!
DeleteLove this, Trina. Breathe is my one little word, so of course I zoomed right in on that in your acrostic.
ReplyDeleteI really like this form and isn't one I've seen before (but I think I have that book somewhere...) I am so glad you shared some of your insights from your month of meditation! The poem is actually very beautiful.
ReplyDeleteI really like this form and isn't one I've seen before (but I think I have that book somewhere...) I am so glad you shared some of your insights from your month of meditation! The poem is actually very beautiful.Positive Psychology
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ReplyDeleteI am thankful to you for sharing this plethora of useful information. I found this resource utmost beneficial for me. Thanks a lot for hard work. meditation
ReplyDelete