Meditation

Meditation; it’s not just for hippies anymore.
A friend recently asked me how I meditate. It always strikes me as something that a great number of people put far too much thought into. In the 70’s those who meditated seemed to be those who walked around in gauze robes with rope belts, or daisy duke shorts with floral patterned skimpy tops and flowers in their hair. But perhaps they were on to something. It was their comfortable place to be themselves. I don’t claim to speak for others but for me meditating is simply a focus of thoughts, uninterrupted by sights, sounds and shenanigans going on around me. I must admit I didn’t even consider meditation until the past few years. In fact, I’m a meditation rookie.
I don’t have a gauze robe or short shorts. You can thank me for not attempting those shorts. I don’t have a million candles flooding my space with too many scents and far too much light. I don’t even have a specific space off limits to the world during my process of focusing thoughts.
Many of you have seen pictures from my deck on my Facebook page, Lisa K. Price Author. Every day I look at what we call The Backside of America’s Mountain, Pikes Peak. My spectacular views are what vacationers seek for a day or two and yet I have them every minute of every day the sun or the moon allows me to see them. But you won’t see on my Facebook page the description of the annoying sounds from the busy road just down the road from my Little House on The Mountain. You won’t read about the lights from the Safeway parking lot that from various points in my home, I can see if I choose to do so.
This place, either on my deck or looking out my windows as I’m currently doing, is my safe place. It’s a challenge to block out the road noise from time to time but it’s worth the effort to close my windows and eliminate the distraction. Annie most likely will bark at the annoying squirrel taunting her from the deck. My cell phone may alert me to a new email or a welcomed comment from you on this blog. All typical stuff. All OK to not focus on for ten minutes.
Meditation for me begins with breathing. Again, no funky clothes necessary. Wherever I choose to meditate (it may be in my car seeking shade under a tree close to my parking spot), I begin with closing my eyes and breathing. Here’s my personal fave:

Breathe in slowly through my nose for four counts
Gently hold that for seven counts
Exhale slowly through my mount, in equally metered releases for eight counts
Lather, rinse, repeat

At first it seems challenging. But by about the third cycle you’ll find not only is it routine but you’ll feel your body begin to relax. Your shoulders will begin to let down. Your wrists will relax as will your hands, your feet, etc. Focus on visualizing this actually happening. Once you get there, you can go to a place where you can silently chat with yourself about whatever is of concern. At times I’ll turn it into a chat with God and share thoughts of gratitude such as “Thanks for allowing me to only have financial issues right now.” Or to myself in mentally whispering, “You know this is going to take some time. Allow yourself, Lisa K., to continue moving forward instead of remaining paralyzed in the reality that the answer will most likely not arrive today.”
As adults we don’t have blanket forts to go to so that we can have quiet time to read our comics, color or play with our dolls, trucks, science kits, etc.. But what a joy that gave us, right? So as adults we just need to make our virtual blanket fort wherever that may be and take the time to stay for just ten minutes! It doesn’t have to be daily. Or it could be multiple times a day. You’re the boss now. You decide. Just know you have the strength to utilize the tools within you to find your balance when all around you is being tipped left or right and often to an extreme.
So, find a gauze robe or put flowers in your hair if that helps. Most of the time we don’t need it but you do you. Meditation for me is simply calming or quieting the destructive distractions. So, I skip the daisy dukes (now THAT would be a disturbing distraction) and fold back the flap to my imaginary blanket fort, go inside and just breathe.
What does your blanket fort look like?