Hello everyone,
This week we read to Investigation at the bottom of page 157. We talked about Samadhi and the 3 aspects of meditation Right Effort, Right Mindfulness and Right Concentration and how blending them together was the way to get the best result from your meditation practice. Kevin says "what's most important is not to stop thoughts, but to change our relationship to thoughts... we have to stop letting conditioned, compulsive or automatic thoughts run our lives." p157
Can you relate to this? How has your relationship with your thoughts changed in recovery, or with a meditation practice?
Have you stopped - at least to some degree - letting conditioned, compulsive or automatic thoughts run your life?
I know that I am still often frustrated by the repetitive thought patterns that come up during my sits. Things that I thought I had worked through or forgiven or let go of reappear in the quiet moments of my meditation. However, I've learned to welcome and thank them for bringing me the awareness that I still have work to do to let them go. I have learned to stop "beating the puppy" or "strangling the frog" when they come up and just allow them to pass, acknowledging what they have to teach me. I don't always do this successfully, but at least it gives me another opportunity to work through whatever it is, to hopefully truly let it go this time. It is a practice after all and one of progress not perfection, so I'm still practicing.
What about you?
I personally enjoy movement meditation. Allowing nature to be a part of this and letting the sounds and sights to become part of my thought process. Accepting what is happening externally as well as internally. Thoughts come and go as well as the external circumstances. Nature is beautiful and that's where I feel connected most. Thanks for a great meeting.