"The end of all good music is to affect the soul." Composer, Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643)
Music blows past our mental gatekeepers and lodges deep in our soul. I have declared a new release as my new favorite song, sung along, bought the record and only then, realized the lyrics were terrible. The power of the music or the beat was enough to hook me and motivate me to exchange my cash.
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The self-made man is a myth. No one stands alone; we all stand on the shoulders of our predecessors.
Those who are honest will gladly admit this truth. Additionally, they will be quick to point out the kindness of a mentor who used their influence to open a door, or a trainer pushing another rep out of our spent muscles. Those who have tread the path and achieved a level of success can peer into our lives and steer us clear of the dangerous chasms ahead.
During primary school, classrooms were assigned and with a bit of luck, you didn't draw the mean-old-hag that would smack your knuckles with a ruler. Evading the monotone and stubborn college professors, was the best you could request. Upon completion of school, geography no longer constrains our options of teachers, and the Internet makes the connection that much easier.
Meditation is an intimate activity and to invite someone near to shape how to conduct the practice is an extension of a gift of trust. These teachers are distinctive and must be carefully selected. The age-old adage, "when the student is ready, the teacher will appear," has proven true.
By providence, I met Pat and extended this gift of trust to learn about the Scriptures and prayer. His humble study and reflection of the Scriptures laid a foundation for me to approach my personal study. He patiently taught me how to approach a genuine prayer life informed by faith.
I met Tara Brach (@tarabrach), through the Tim Ferriss (@timferriss) podcast, and came to enjoy her online mindfulness meditation archive. I attended one of her weekly classes outside of DC and was not disappointed in the session. Tara introduced a new language to add to my vocabulary and a new way to approach the meditation practice.
Whose shoulders do you stand upon?
Charlie "Tremendous" Jones said, "You are the same today you’ll be in five years except for two things: the people you meet and the books you read." How can you trace the influence of your meditation teachers from five years ago to whom you are today? Following this heritage confirms you were right to trust these teachers, and they were worthy of your gift.
Well done, now is a good time to express your gratitude.
My greatest meditation aid is an alarm clock. Given a choice, I will choose sleep over most activities.
Getting out of bed on time is my primary way to make space for this quiet time. If it doesn't happen first thing, then it becomes another item on the to-do list and must wrestle for priority with everything else. Additionally, the morning hours are a sweet period of new beginnings to put away the previous day in anticipation of this day.
What is your preferred time for contemplation? What is your favorite daily location and what is your all-time favorite spot? What natural positions do you find yourself most comfortable and alert?
My spiritual meditation includes both Scripture reading and prayer, and guided mindfulness meditations are from either an app (Calm (@calm) or Headspace (@headspace)) or Tara Brach's (@tarabrach) archive. I am consistent for periods of time then drop off, only to jump back in after noticing the impact of not keeping up the practice.
What tools do you depend upon to help you conduct your practice? Have you altered these tools since you began? Why did you choose your current tools? Do you want anything more out of them?
For those that use physical activity as meditation, how do you incorporate this practice into your routine? How are focus, inspiration, and a sense of connectedness achieved during the exercise?
I would love to say that I nail the practice every day and the experience is out of this world, but sadly that is not the case. Getting too comfortable and falling asleep is my most common issue. When focused on prayers or meditation while in the parking garage before work, kind strangers have knocked on my car window to ensure I am ok. As a reward for their kindness, we both get a bit startled.
A dear friend strained her neck due to bowing her head in prayer over several extended prayer meetings. Thankfully, her neck mobility returned after working the muscles and a posture change.
What stories do you have from your practice?
Our methods are as diverse as we are. Variations exist even within close groups. Talking about our practices, experiences, and learning help us all to grow. Listening to someone with radically different beliefs provides a new language to bring back and enhance your practice. Your neighbor is waiting to chat.
Morgan Spurlock was in pretty rough shape at the end of Super Size Me. Mr. Spurlock restricted his diet to McDonald's food for 30 days and added 24 lbs.to his waistline in the process. Quite the achievement and sustainable if the goal is meet the Grim Reaper sooner rather than later.
Attainment of the health pinnacle is through an intake of various healthy foods and functional physical exercise. Rejection of the simple processed Honey Bun carbs, calling from the cafeteria vending machine, is essential. Technology has not yet reduced our mental health to being a hard drive on the shelf. We must exercise our minds to keep them active and healthy until this perceived nirvana is achieved. Reading is a primary delivery system for mental stimulation.
It is no wonder that one of the Cleveland Clinic's 6 Pillars of Brain Health, does not include YouTube cat videos in the title.
I have my go-to genres where I spend the bulk of my time, and most categories are non-fiction. However, I have a growing appreciation of fiction. Dr. Al Mohler published his thoughts on the reading of books to ensure reading program diversity. I appreciate the intentionality he has applied to broadening his reading repertoire beyond his expected discipline.
I recently attended a local group meditation led by Tara Brach. During the visitor introduction and following meditation, I came away with an appreciation for a greater vocabulary. The discussion used language in ways I have not experienced, and it was refreshing. The good news is that you don't have to endure Washington DC traffic to reap the same rewards. Books can offer this same introduction and dialog, no matter where you call home.
Going Further: What are your predominant reading categories? When were these initially established? What prevents you from expanding the genres you read? How do you push your reading boundaries? What category was a brilliant surprise? What has been the greatest benefit of reading broadly?
Action Step: Recommend a favorite fiction book in the comments.