| |
| |
|
Faith411.com - Spirituality |
|
|
|
Vital information and articles related to Spirituality.Clear Mind, Empty Head: A Leak In Mind Like Water
There's a lot of talk in meditation circles about emptying the mind. This is a roadblock for many people. Why? Because it's counterintuitive. After all, we spend most of our waking hours filling up our minds. We go to school, we get trained, we read, we learn, we absorb information from all around us. Then someone comes along and tells us that the best thing we can do is EMPTY our mind? Why would we want to do that? Empty isn't a good thing in most cases. Empty wallet? Empty gas tank? Empty bank account? Empty restaurant? These aren't conditions we find satisfying. Mention your feelings of "emptiness" to your doctor and you may end up with a prescription for Prozac. Would you take it as a compliment if someone referred to you as "empty-headed"? Not likely. We seek fullness in our bellies, our hearts and our lives. Going for empty goes against the grain. We've already got plenty of reasons to avoid meditation. It seems difficult, uncomfortable, or just plain boring to a lot of newcomers. We don't need any semantic obstacles. Hearing that little voice saying, "Your mind is not empty--you're lousy at this!" only adds to the clutter that muddies our spirit, fogs our intention, and paralyzes our progress. We must relinquish this expectation that we are supposed to attain this state of emptiness--complete non-thinking--in order to have a good meditation session. Staying attached to this ideal is likely to provide just one more nudge in the never-mind direction. David Allen is a productivity trainer and consultant who is the author of Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity. He offers valuable tips for dealing with the clutter that crowds our minds so that we can free up space for greater creativity. Like Jim Ballard in his book called Mind Like Water: Keeping Your Balance In A Chaotic World, Allen uses the martial arts term to describe the process of preparing our mind for appropriate responses to demands. Having a "mind like water" refers to one's ability to react and reflect in a balanced way. If you drop a stone in a still pond, the ripples will appear in a direct, appropriate response to the force and mass of that stone. Nothing more, nothing less. As the ripples dissipate, the pond returns to stillness. That's a great way to look at how our minds respond when we feel relaxed and stress-free. We don't snap at our kids or get cranky with our co-workers. We get our tasks completed in a way that is efficient and without unnecessary action, emotion, or distraction. We have a point to which we return continually as we go through our day. There is no overreaction or failure to respond. Still. Ripple. Still. The only leak in this "mind like water" discussion is that Allen sticks with the tried-and-true "empty mind" terminology. That's too bad. It would have been a perfect opportunity to switch to clear! When the "empty mind" concept becomes a barrier, slip into "clear mind" instead. After all, a pond is not empty. It is clear. Plenty of water. Rocks and mud at the bottom. Fish swimming here and there. If the water is clear, you can see it all and the finest details become magnified as they pop into view. The important aspect is our ability to see whatever we need to see. What happens when you toss a stone into an empty pond? Not much. It makes a thud on the muddy bottom. Sure, you can see it. But what's the point? Your mind will continue to have thoughts. Don't expect to avoid them. Drop the idea that you can remain "thoughtless" and embrace the value of seeing those thoughts clearly. You've spent years filling your head. Mindfulness gives you the clarity to see what's going on in there without having to dump the contents first. By releasing the notion of emptiness, you can step into the power of clarity. Empty mind? Clear mind? Choose the image that works for you. I'll cast my vote for clear. Maya Talisman Frost is a mind masseuse in Portland, Oregon. Through her company, Real-World Mindfulness Training, she teaches fun and effective eyes-wide-open alternatives to meditation. To subscribe to her free weekly ezine, the Friday Mind Massage, please visit http://www.MassageYourMind.com
MORE RESOURCES:
Spirituality - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Neither White-washed Nor Unmarked When I was 10 years old my father decided to dig a full basement out from under our house. In one corner he pointed out to me a change in the pattern of the packed earth that formed the wall. Nurturing Your Spirit Do you ever wonder about the other "YOU ?"The one that speaks to you quietly, the one that helps you find inspiration. It is in yourspirit that the feeling of love and peace reignsupreme. True Justice and Freedom The world's idea of justice and freedom fall short of their purpose. Prison bars keep the guilty from repeating their crime while behind them. Heroes and Heroines - Contemplating Conscious Evolution The myths of man have been with us throughout time. Since the earliest of cave drawings to modern books and film, the myths of man have been the creators of man, providing both meaning and symbolism to his / her life. Gilligan Finds Jesus! One day Gilligan ventures off as usual into thejungle. After a few hours the Skipper knowsGilligan's absent-minded behavior, gets a littleworried and goes trotting off looking for him. The Hand of God There I was living in a tiny bedroom in my parent's not-so-large, five room apartment. I had, as they say, "run out of options. The Dark Side of Spirituality On reading Susan Cato's Time Magazine Canada piece titled, "In Search of the Spiritual," I became increasingly annoyed at the realization that many people keep making the erroneous split between religion and spirituality, when they are one and the same. For example, in the Time Canada piece, Rabbi Leigh Lerner, who leads the Temple Emanu-El-Beth Sholom, a Reform congregation in Montreal, states, "Religiosity may not be increasing, but spirituality is," confirming the notion that 'spirituality is separate and preferable to religion. 8 Ways to Plant Spiritual Ideas Deep in Your Heart The fundamental aim of spiritual study is to get facts and principles into the Heart's fertile ground. Ideas must get through habitual and familiar filters; otherwise, the information is diverted from having its full power. The Big Choice "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in and eat with you, and you will eat with me. An Analysis of Western Mans Guiding Presuppositions An analysis of Western man's guiding presuppositions, A Review of the book "Impulse of Power" by Jack KettlerAfter having had the pleasure of reading Dr. Michael W. How Its Always Now How do we feel the fullness of life itself?We have to go underneath the busy mind. And go into that deep sense of being itself. The Science of Enlightenment I would like to share my experience, working with the Mind Resonance Process(TM) (MRP), a new modality to achieving personal mental, emotional, physical and spiritual fulfillment, of the meaning of the term "enlightenment".MRP is a simple yet profound tool that helps an individual clear their bio-field of negativity i. God Is Waiting To Bless Me In the year 2000, I went on a mission trip to Guatemala with Wycliffe Bible Translators. It was a weeklong trip where we were able to see the results of the Bible translation work in Guatemala. Wealth Catchers: Discover Wealth and Prosperity with the Angels of Abundance Did you ever know somebody who easily accumulates wealth? If it rained money and you each put pots out to catch it, would yours be likely to hold the half inch or so that was predicted to fall and theirs overflow? How could it happen that way? The money energy falls equally on each of you just as rain would and your opportunity to stand in the flow of money is equal as well.I wondered the same thing and, oddly enough, the Angels brought the answer to me as I flipped through a catalogue of earth friendly products. A Crash Course In Tarot For Newbies #1 - All About the Cards The Tarot is not just a divinatory tool, but it can also be utilized in the appropriately trained hands as a tool for providing counsel and advice with which we can navigate life. It is an antique form of divination that predates popular psychology, but has been shown to have archetypal energies that work well from a Jungian perspective. Psalms For Prosperity The psalms of the Bible are a literary treasure chest of prayers for prosperity. Below is a list of which psalms to recite for common financial requests. The Trust We Must Have to Manifest What We Truly Desire Some of my greatest teachers have taught me that faith and trust are two of our most powerful allies. True belief in your ability to create results in your life is based upon this trust. Pray Without Ceasing "Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 16-18, NIVThroughout the long year of trying to figure out how I could joint venture with Saving Grace Enterprises I've just known it would eventually happen -all in God's time of course. Are You Being In Service? Divine Source Greetings Divine Ones, I am going to ask you a few questions so that you can simply ask yourself where you stand within your heart and mind, to know whether you are being in service or in servitude.Are you fulfilling the joys within your heart or are you struggling to discover what your joys are?Are you trying to attain anything outside of yourself to feel better? Or are you loving the process of all that lies within the attainment?Are you sacrificing your truth on any level of your life? Or are you sharing your truth with yourself and all others, regardless of what others might think, say or do?Being "in service" means that you are serving from the joys in your heart because it brings you joy to do so. Unfinished Woman I'm at that place in life many refer to as "the dark night of the soul". My husband and I just finished and moved into our dream home.
|
|
Spirituality Articles Home Page | Spirituality Articles Site Map | News | Faith411.com Home Page EZmatic.com | IgoJo | UpBee | Blue Ryder | Health | ZippyGo | Ken J Wagner Faith411.com - all Vital information and articles related to Spirituality. |
| © 2006 |
