Meditation for The Ways Things Are

“All of man’s difficulties are caused by his inability to sit quietly in a room by himself.” Blaise Pascal

Often we want things to be so strikingly different than the way they are, we try our hardest to think about anything other than the present. We ruminate on the past and plan for the future, yet flee from the now.

Yet, acknowledging the present can truly lift our mood. Be where you’re at…because you're already there!

Start in the morning. This is as close as you’re going to get to a blank page. Before you make the bed, put on the coffee and check your email, stay in your bed for a few minutes longer. 

Either come to sit or allow yourself to linger in supine position (as if you had to be asked). Take a few intentionally energizing breaths. 

Take stock. Notice how you feel within your body, even before you move it. If there’s an area that feels stiff and contracted, don’t try to rush away from it. Feel it fully and perhaps direct your breath to that area. As Eckhart Tolle says, “Whatever the present moment contains, accept it as if you had chosen it.””

Then move on to your emotional state. Try to boil this down to one word such as “overwhelmed” or “peaceful.” Find the word that resonates through your bones until you no longer feel like exploring. 

Try to detach from solutions or explanations, just feel the word and the calming effect of understanding yourself.

Sit in this moment without expecting it to become anything. Be, rather than become.

After you feel you have honored this moment, move on to your day as the authentic, undeniable you.

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Courtney Sunday has two cats and a boyfriend who are very patient with her health and wellness obsessions. She teaches yoga, Pilates and indoor cycling and gives Thai massages through her Toronto business Om at Home Yoga. When she is tuckered out, she takes up the sport of sleeping.