Medi practice

 Meditation, as the word is used here, describes a process of gently letting go of all that comes between yourself and the calm, loving, pristine depths of your own inner being. 

We each have a calm, kind, loving, accepting, and supportive inner core to our being, but unfortunately, most of us have become unconsciously  attached to the incessant chatter of the ego's old and largely ineffective schemes of attempting to pursue the enduring joy, love, esteem and well-being which truly are our innate birthright. 

Due to flawed emotional programs for happiness and well-being (many of which were created during childhood), we have long been misled by our own mind, and we need to refocus our attention toward the calm, pristine depths of the Inner Life.

The relationship which we instinctively long for, the relationship which we need above all others, is a deep inner relationship with the Divine Presence which illuminates, guides and empowers us in the perfect way that no human relationship can ever achieve.

rather than thinking of yourself as "I" or "me" (something known and having rather fixed qualities), begin to think of yourself simply as an on-going process (a work-in-progress), an ever-changing process which is powered and nurtured by the ever-present ocean of Love in which we are immersed.

Simply open yourself to new possibilities, new ways of life, and relax into the vast Ocean of Being, seeing yourself as an on-going work of art, having unlimited potential for inner peace and happiness.

Results:

The old, unsatisfactory mental habits have often been accumulated and reinforced over many years, so it may take some time and dedication to overcome them. At first, meditation may seem like a burden, but over time, it will likely become an important and cherished part of each day.

As a first step, sort of a trial period, meditate at least once a day for thirty consecutive days, and then carefully examine your daily life: are you calmer? more peaceful? behaving more beautifully? expressing greater loving-kindness? living with greater ease? If so, you're on the right track!

begin with whichever meditation is easiest and most appealing to you:

If imagining yourself in a peaceful place is easier for you, then begin with Abiding Peace.

If imagining yourself immersed in the presence of love is easier for you, then begin with Loving Presence.

If imagining yourself in the midst of great beauty is easier for  you, then begin with Awesome Beauty.

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A great obstacle to the flow of Divine Presence arises whenever we ourselves are not present, that is, when we are not engaged in the

present moment. Our lack of engagement with the present moment is, in general, due to our own conditioning, our own outdated, habitual responses to life's situations. Whenever we respond to a situation with a habitual response, we are no longer responding in harmony with the present moment, and the burden of our old baggage isolates us from the inner guidance and loving-kindness which is the very solution to every situation.

In order to be effective instruments of Divine Presence, we ourselves must be fully present in each moment, in each situation, always responding from that fountain of inner guidance and loving-kindness, not with old habitual responses. All too often, some minor event brings about a major response, triggered by an old (and often unconsciously recalled) memory of something which occurred at an earlier time in our life. But that was a different situation, it was a different time.

The subconscious response of the ego is trying to help us find the pleasure, affection and esteem that we deserve, but it does so by playing over and over some old response to some other situation from our past. And whenever we respond, consciously or unconsciously, out of our past conditioning, we are actually responding to some other situation from some other time rather than responding to the living reality of the present moment.

To enjoy the love, harmony and beauty which are our birthright, we must be fully present, fully engaged, here and now. We must respond to the needs of present moment as instruments of Divine Presence, not as servants of our ego's old habits and unconscious reactions. Be here. Be beautiful. Now.