Meditation for Thursday April 4, 2024
Back to basics; I’ve taken the liberty of quoting liberally from the University of New England’s website material about meditation.
“Meditation is the practice of uncritically and non-judgmentally attempting to focus your attention on one ‘thing’ at a time and gently letting go of distractions as they inevitably come into your mind. This one ‘thing’ is usually called the object of attention and may be a word, a phrase or simply being mindful and aware of the sensation of breathing.”
“Meditation is stilling the noise level in our mind and attempting to settle our mind into silence. The aim is to simply be in the here and now and not be distracted by worries about the past or concerns for the future. However, when these occur the aim is to be non-judgmental and to accept and acknowledge that this is happening and then to come back to the object of attention.”
“Don’t make meditation a chore that you have to do, because you will end up feeling resentful or guilty. Cultivate an attitude of anticipation and look forward to your quiet times. Some people like to create a special meditation place in their home and decorate it in such a way that induces a sense of calm and peace. For example, decorating a small table by draping a beautiful cloth over it and placing on it a beautiful symbol, lighting a candle or burning incense.”
Meditation
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Ref: UNE Student Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS)
For information about the programs on offer at the Carmelite Centre go to www.thecarmelitecentremelbourne.org