Meditation for Thursday 10th April 2025
For most of us that practice meditation we are doing so because we are seeking freedom, peace, and joy by nurturing our inner growth as we spend time to look deeply in order to transform both our personal difficulties and the difficulties we encounter in the wider world. For many this has religious implications, for everyone, spiritual.
By meditating we learn how to weave our contemplation into all our daily activities and live each moment more deeply. We live contemplatively, i.e., while eating, working, sitting, playing, or simply enjoying each other’s company.
We tend to see body, breath, and mind separately, but when we meditate and indeed when we live a meditative or contemplative life, they come together as one.
Posture…
In meditation it’s essential that we give attention to our posture, establishing an awake and relaxed posture. Because our body and mind are one, our posture directly affects our breathing and state of mind. A stable, relaxed, wakeful posture helps us cultivate a mind that is stable, relaxed, and wakeful.
Most of us in the West sit in a chair when we meditate, and that’s fine. To help ground the body in this posture we keep our feet flat on the floor. Always our spine should be straight. Keeping the back straight and centred, rather than slouching or leaning to the side, allows the diaphragm to move freely and the mind to find stability. An upright spine allows our breathing to be deep, easy, and natural.
And now breathing in a relaxed manner, not controlling or manipulating the breath, that is, breath in a way that feels most effortless let us be in the moment.
Meditation
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www.thecarmelitecentremelbourne.org