Many people prior to Covid-19 and some people, such as parents, during the lockdown have been leading such busy lives that they could do with creating a balance in their lives. Does this sound like you? In the West most people are externally focused naturally and as such often tend to neglect their inner life. This eventually leads to a sense of having to rush around to get everything done and this lands them in stress, after some time. The truth is balance is a delicate juggle. And yet we need to create a balance between our inner life and our outer life, to feel in harmony. When I say inner life, I mean listening to what is going on inside of you, by way of thoughts, emotions, feelings and sensations. Few people are truly happy and this is one of the reasons. I am sure that you already had a suspicion that life was not meant to be one long struggle and you are right! We are meant to have contented lives.
Many people are not aware that one of the main issues that is going on within them is that, if they are e.g. very successful in business they often don’t make time for other things. It can become a one sided focus and as such they are often not as connected with themselves, as they could be and one of the reason may be the apparent lack of time but another could be, that it is not a priority or that they do not realise the value of meditation. To quote my teacher “Meditation is worth gold”. On the other hand many spiritual people often suffer from lack of prosperity. This is also not desirable especially for those living a householder’s life. Often there is a misunderstanding about money. Money is essential in our Western society but we need not be attached to it, to the exclusion of other things. Anything we are attached to makes us suffer.
In either case, neither are fulfilling their true potential. Every being here on earth are in truth, both spiritual and material beings i.e. our vehicle - the body is made of matter and our life force is energy or spirit. Science has already confirmed this fact. So we need to find a way to live a balanced life.
So this being the case, how can we create balance in our lives, so that we can thrive? To thrive we need to meet our material needs and also be aligned inside. How do we do this? Meditation is the key to create a balance between your inner and out life. By spending some time each day in stillness and silence i.e. meditation. For those of you who have not tried this yet, I would really like to say that you have missed something incredibly enriching. People who meditate have an inner sense of contentment. They have self-awareness, which enables the practitioner to take better care of themselves and their needs and be more productive in their work. For those of you who have tried it but not pursued it, this is a good time to take it up again. Meditation helps us to become much more balanced.
By starting your day with meditation, you begin the day, in a fantastic way, with clarity and focus and it sets the scene for the day ahead. Perhaps you start work early and cannot do this in the morning, in which case, you can do it in the evening. This will enable you to empty your mind of work stress and you may be more relaxed and sleep better. Clearing your mind before going to sleep is a wonderful way to wake up refreshed. Did you know that what is in our mind when we go to bed, we wake up with in the morning. If you have ever been depressed then you will have experienced this.
Meditation will pay dividends many times over. It is like a holiday for the mind. Only by mind training, which is what meditation is, can we ride the waves of this material world successfully. In order to thrive, we must make time for inner silence and peace. To simply sit with yourself in the present moment, can be seen as a very ordinary experience yet at the same time, it can be completely extraordinary and transformative. Meditation can reveal many insights. It is beautiful to listen to our inner voice and follow its guidance. It saves untold misery and solves many problems that our conscious mind could not solve. The reason for this is that we have access to the ‘universal mind’. The universal mind is the Divine Mind that we can all access if we can get still enough and this Mind has all the answers to everything that could ever arise. It is the pool of total knowledge.
Meditation is an act of self care and can be the balancing element in our lives. Meditation benefits us physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. It is the one practice that has the potential to awaken us to a greater reality about ourselves and our purpose in life. It has been proven scientifically that mindfulness meditation alters the structure and function of the brain with a mere 20 minutes of practice daily for 6 - 8 weeks. In addition it can help to stabilise our emotions, improve our mood and can reveal our oneness with all beings.
Meditation is beautifully transforming in nature. Gradually and little by little our awareness of ourselves, others and our surroundings grow and we begin to feel interconnected. Meditation is a beautiful gift you can give to ourself that will create a balance between your inner and outer life. It truly is one of the best things that you can do for your wellbeing and spiritual growth.
For more information on how mindfulness meditation can help you, to create a balance in your life, please contact Katarina Tilley today on 07707207290, katarinatilley@gmail.com or click on the following link: www.katarinatilley.co.uk/meditation
Face-to-face mindfulness meditation courses, one-to-one mindfulness sessions and tailor-made meditation classes are available at Living in the Light, Little Clacton, near Colchester, Ipswich and Chelmsford, in Essex. In addition you can also learn mindfulness and meditation online, on Zoom, with Katarina Tilley.