My monthly meditation group is studying the universal aspects of meditation. The what, how, and why that applies to meditating, regardless of any specific practice. This month, we focused on preparation.
How does one get ready to meditate? There are many approaches. Lighting a candle. Washing the body. Saying a prayer. Using a special location. Setting an intention.
What do they have in common? Each impacts the experience and depth of the meditation. Each impacts the attitude with which we approach meditation. This concept of attitude, or energetic stance, towards meditation was the focus of our discussion and practice for the evening.
We closed our eyes and sat together in silence, getting in touch with the sensations and feelings that resonated most when we contemplated our previous mediation experiences. Our purpose was to choose an attitude to take intentionally into our meditation. Once we had chosen our attitude, we moved into our collective meditation for the evening, taking notice of how the attitude impacted our experience.
Finally, we committed to bring that attitude not just to our meditation but to our life “off the mat” during the coming month and to notice, without judgment, the effect.
What am noticing “off the mat” is that when I consciously remember my attitude towards meditation, I feel almost immediate relief, peace and spaciousness. Whether I am driving, exercising, cleaning or taking a meeting, applying this intentional attitude creates calm and brings a smile to my face.