Nothing is a negative word to many, but I think it is a grand word. From nothing is born everything. It is the first week of The Joy Diet with Jamie Ridler and nothing is the word. And the action to.
We have to do nothing for a minimum of at least fifteen minutes a day. Maybe not precisly meditating but something towards it. A first step perhaps.
I have a history with meditation. I remember clearly the first time I came across the word. I was pretty young and I was having a conversation with my Mum about how we got to sleep. I don't remember why we were but we were. She asked me how I got to sleep when I was struggling and I told her.
I focus on my feet really hard till they become tingly and then I move the tingle up my legs before I start on my fingers and do my arms. This focus completely relaxes me. My limbs feel like I can't move them. And they tingle. I have never been able to make my main body tingle and I no longer try. I am not sure if it is the focusing or the relaxing of my body that helps me relax but it has always worked. I seem to have come up with this technique out of nowhere... Anyone else come across it anywhere?
My Mum informed me that this sounded a bit like meditation so I asked her what that was...
Many years later I was trying to learn to meditate. One day I actually managed to switch off my inner voice and look within. I didn't like it. It was black and quiet and still. I don't know if this is what you aim for, if there is something more, a mistake or a reflection of where I was at that time.... I have never tried to hard since.
So I can do 15 mins a day but I am not sure how rigorous I shall be with it. I would love any meditation experts out there to tell me more about my experiences...
I am looking forward to filling my life with joy. Truthfully I have been horridly grumpy since yesterday lunch time and my 15 minutes today did bring me out of it somewhat....
Working hard on the cottage
10 months ago
Good for you Rose, it is relaxing isnt it. I have a couple of old tapes on how to relax, also the David Silva free online meditation I did a while back, sounds similar to what you do. Take care.
ReplyDeleteI do struggle with meditation.. but learnt that by closing my eyes, and breathing in peace and breathing out love.. that is all I have to do, and it works for me.. you keep it up til the whole room is full of love.. and if your mind wanders, you gently bring it back to the breath.
ReplyDeleteI admire you doing two self help books at once! I desperately wanted to do the Jamie book thing this time, but I could not get the book - it would not have arrived until late October unless I wanted to pay $50 postage to here!!
I am looking forward to this book - I did not do well with TAW! But I do need more Joy - and "nothing" sounds good right now!
ReplyDeletetAKE CARE.
I have tried meditation but never get "far enough". I'm looking forward to being mindful of this as I enjoy my 15 minutes each day of nothing. Happy to share the joy diet with you!
ReplyDeleteMaybe doing nothing can just mean sitting and looking out of the window or sitting on a rock looking at the ocean and not necessarily meditating. Hope you find your way of doing nothing.
ReplyDeleteJust stopped by to say Hi! I look forward to our new adventure into Joy. Have a great week.
ReplyDeletehope you feel less grumpy now {hug}
ReplyDeletei have a love hate thing with meditation-sometimes it comes easy other times i give up in frustration! it seems to only really work when something other than me thinks it should, i get a 'pull' to do it that i cannot ignore.
I've tried repeatedly to 'meditate' but I have desperately busy mind and have a hard time telling it to shut up. So I do as Leone suggests, and don't try so hard...I am more able to find that centeredness (new word?) if I'm sitting outside...perhaps with more practice I'd be able to do it anywhere....
ReplyDeleteNothing is good.
~love~
looking forward to journeying through "The Joy Diet" with you and our fellow dieters.
ReplyDeleteWishing you nothing but goodness as you experiment with nothingness this week.
ReplyDeleteI'm still waiting for my book but have been practicing nothing in a variety of places and ways this week and I like it. I've decided not to "meditate" - as that feels like something, even when you're aiming for nothing.
ReplyDeleteLook forward to sharing this journey with you.