get to know your mind

​Get to know your mind 
 You have heard it over and over again-

• meditation helps reduce stress and therefore stress-related symptoms
• meditation keeps you young and happy
• meditation changes your brain (for the good)
• meditation can help you sleep, eat and play better
• etc!

The best testimonial I hear is when people tell me things like "I never would have gotten through that if I didn't have my meditation practice" or "My practice saved my life".  I love when people try to convince me its a good idea to meditate!  It helps to inspire me to keep going.

So, what is keeping you from practicing?  Is it because it is hard, takes time, you don't know how to do it?  I am sure you can write an impressive list, but the bottom line is that list is not going to make you feel better, think better, sleep better. Nor is it going to change your brain for the better. In fact your list of "Why I don't...." is cementing your habits in place, the same habits you wish to break. 

This month we will be reading from the book Mindfulness in Plain English.  And it is just that, all about meditation in straight forward language. We are also offering two courses that can help you start to cross off items from the "why I can't" list.   David will be offering Meditation for Beginners and I will be offering an 8 month Spiritual Studies group.  David and I have been practicing together for 18 years. Of course we have our own lists too, but one thing we know to be true is that without support and a formal group, the "why I can't/wont/leave me alone" list is much more attractive. Fortunately, we have had a steady group of people to practice with and they always pull you back to read the "Just do it and stop whining" list. 

So join in one of these sessions and start writing a new list of how you aremeditating, and see for yourself if you begin to think, feel, sleep and live better.