January 14, 2010

Om Namah Shivaya

I LOVE meditation.  Who knew?  My heart was so ready, so open, I'm not surprised that something beautiful rushed in when I began.  I wish I could explain every moment, every breath, every thought I had to lasso and the love that took its place.  Do you know I actually laughed out loud the first time I tried to chant (day 5)?  What a picture that must have been:  sitting on my yoga brick, spine straight, middle finger to thumb, quiet breath... "Ooommm. Namah Shivaya."  What?  But it didn't take long.  At first I struggled with when to breathe and when to speak, and when to pause. But after several minutes my breathing regulated and it became more natural.  And when I stopped chanting and let stillness and breathing take its place, I felt different than when I had begun.  Heightened, certain, present.

I think the biggest change has been my spirit of gratitude.  God's name has been on my lips, on my mind, on my heart ever since I began meditating, and when that is true, gratitude can't help but spill over.    When I see the sun rise, I am totally aware of the precious gift of this day. When I turn the heat on in my car I offer thanks for my husband's job that helps pay for a reliable car.  When I look at my children I see light and life and possibility instead of noise, and tasks, and responsibility.  When I hear my husband's breath while he sleeps, I relax into the truth that God has given me my beloved.  Gratitude is spilling over.

photo:  This is a bracelet I made to remind me of my first, peaceful Sanskrit mantra. I'll explain the words in a later post.

2 comments:

Lisa Holtzman said...

I need to meditate! The way you express yourself is beautiful and this is a great inspiration and motivation to me. LOVE the bracelet!

Shannon Wilson said...

"Need" is the right word! That's what led me to it. It seems so simple, but submission is never as easy as it looks. Thank you for taking the time to read these posts, Lisa.