Meditation Can Get Murky
Today I got affirmation of a suspicion. Times that I delved more deeply into spirituality resulted in greater challenges rather than greater peace. After experiencing this twice I started to wonder if it is just part of the process.
While listening to Marianne Williamson’s The Gift of Change on CD this morning she talked about the power of meditation to give us answers we never considered, peace we never knew existed, and perspective we never thought possible. She used the analogy of putting a dirty dish into soapy water and letting it soak. Encrusted food starts to soften then eventually rises off the dish. With meditation we let our spirits and minds soak in the presence of god. Marianne went on to say that sometimes in the process of soaking the dish the water gets murky as the dish is getting clean and the same thing can be expected with meditation. Sometimes when we wash away our ego and preconditioned ideas in meditation we may go through a murky, unexpected phase. We may not like it and it may be uncomfortable, but it is part of the transformation.
posted by David Treanor @ 8:36 AM
2 comments
2 Comments:
Why would you expect things not to be murky as you delve further into your spiritual development? As we see things we haven't seen before, we are challenged to think beyond our current notions. This can cause a mental overload. Not to worry, as long as you accept what you are experiencing without judgment, you will, over time, integrate the new thoughts and growth into your everyday being.
This is a great analogy. I've recently started a much more regular and more focused meditation practice.
It's sitting meditation, so it involves some simple posture and breathing elements that are still uncomfortable to me. My concentation, as I sit, is challenged by physical discomfort, and then by my focusing on the physical discomfort. Then, by focusing on how I shouldn't be focusing on the discomfort nor focusing on focusing on it. Then by focusing on doing less focusing.
...Anyway, it's almost funny. I notice that on Monday my lower back is uncomfortable, Tuesday my breathing feels shallow and I worry I'm not getting enough air, Wednesday I can't seem to get my thumbs to rest together in the right way, and Friday my back hurts again.
The way my mind now ranges over things looking for things to worry about and jumping to the next thing as I get a handle in it.... these individual worries are the stuff rising up from the dish in the water.
Post a Comment
<< Home