Witchcraft - World of Wicca
Witchcraft and Meditation
Meditation Troubles?
It’s not as complex as you think!
Contrary to popular belief, the process of meditation does not always involve candles, sitting still, or perfect concentration. One of the most popular questions I’m asked is “How do I meditate when I can’t get my mind to focus?”
For some people, the ability to sit, steady the mind, and visualize comes very easily. However, for the rest of us, we start to slouch and think about how good last night’s gravy was…hardly what we would consider to be meditating.
First of all, let’s completely wipe away the notion of using candles, sitting up straight in a dimly lit room, or visualizing windy green fields. Throw out the notion that you’re supposed to see something spectacular or hear life changing words from some disembodied voice. It all sounds nice, and some people frequently have this experience, but it doesn’t change the fact it doesn’t work that way for the majority.
So how can the average person achieve a state of meditation only read about in “how to” books? Well, the odds are that you already have and not realized it.
Confused? Here’s a couple of examples.
- A writer suffering through “writers block” suddenly writes pages of material. The next day they go back to read the material and have no recollection of where it came from. It’s very good, but they don’t remember writing it.
- A photographer, after taking many many unsuccessful photos, finally spots a flower in bloom and after several shots, goes home to survey his work. While looking at the flower photos, he realizes almost an hour passed while photographing them and it’s some of his best work.
I can hear you now…”How is that meditation?”
The idea behind meditating is to focus our mind on something, which in turn clears our minds of all the extra junk that gets thrown in during the day, which then leaves us feeling refreshed and more centered within ourselves.
Personally, I’ve tried several hundred times…unsuccessfully of course, to meditate in the “normal” fashion; candle flames, incense, rhythmic music, etc. After years of trying, I’d all but given up. Then, out of the blue…it happened.
I’d been given a Bonsai tree several months ago for my birthday; which has since grown into a collection of almost 20. It was by going out and interacting with my trees and nature that I was able to achieve a state of meditation. When you’re outside, among Nature, and you have small trees which need constant and dedicated care…well, it’s amazing how much time can go by when you’re focused.
Now, no matter what the weather is trying to do, I find that I have to go out and look at my trees at least once a day. Even 5 or so minutes is long enough to take the focus away from whatever is happening in my life that day, and put it on the tiny pink droopy flowers of my Dwarf Fuchsia. I then come back inside feeling recharged and really quite happy…which is the point behind meditation in the first place.
You don’t have to be a writer, photographer, or even a Bonsai enthusiast to benefit from meditation in this way. Drawing, knitting, crocheting, putting a puzzle together, and even dancing like no one is watching! All of these things allow you to take your focus away from the things that bother you, and put your attention into something that makes YOU feel good. And don’t think your Spirit Guides aren’t taking notice!
While you may not be attempting to contact them directly, the results of the messages they send us can often be seen in the results of our work. So when you’ve done something great that you don’t remember doing, it’s generally a result of their influence.
Not everyone is meant to learn lessons or gain information in the same way, however, just because you obtain your results using other methods, doesn’t mean your results are any less important.
So if the “usual” methods of meditation aren’t working for you, perhaps you need to try something a little more creative. You won’t get instant results, but the more of an appreciation you acquire for your chosen method, the clearer they’ll be.
Oh, and guys …if you can’t imagine yourself with a pair of knitting needles or a paint brush, don’t think that all those hours spent tinkering in the shed have been in vain. Chances are you’ve also experienced a certain level of meditation while working on that engine!
Experiment, don’t give up, and most of all have fun with it!
Yours in Love and Light,
Kia
Tis the witching hour of night,
Or bed is the moon and bright,
And the stars they glisten, glisten,
Seeming with bright eyes to listen
For what listen they?
John Keats (1795 - 1821)
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