Understanding the power of mindfulness meditation in liberating you so that you can become the master of your life and achieve your goals
Mindfulness meditation is a journey and not a one-off practice! Understanding this is important. The benefits achieved through practice allow you to
become the person you would like to become and live a fulfilled life.
Mindfulness is a way of paying attention to the present moment, using techniques such as meditation, breathing and yoga. It helps us become more aware of our thoughts and feelings so that, instead of being overwhelmed by them, we are better able to manage them. For example, meditation practice helps you become more aware of what is, so that you can operate from the present moment rather than the future (fear and worry) or the past that is full of regrets. The only true moment is now. In allowing time to be more mindful we are allowing for the space to expand into being masters of the mind and increase capacity to live fully and serve others. In mastering the mind, we truly become ourselves and can quickly attune to what we want, which we normally already have and aim for in life and are able to redirect courses of action with less effort. The growth achieved from mindfulness practice will allow you to learn that all power is within you.
The quote “I am the master of my own fate and the captain of my ship” William Ernest Henley brings the message home.
Many people do not feel like they can control their minds. They may be lost in thoughts most of the time or may have feelings that they do not desire and/or cannot control the direction, results or outcomes of their feelings and emotions. The average person has about 60,000-70,000 thoughts a day, which can be mostly fearful or negative thoughts. If this seems familiar to you, you are not alone.
I used to feel like my thoughts and my state of being were out of my control. Mindfulness meditation has since helped me to gain control and even then, I need continuous practice. I have since also introduced mindfulness meditation to other women in the IWAW CLUB (Inspiring Women for Aspiring Women’s club). We concentrate on mindfulness breathing, the body scan and mindfulness walking. Many of those participating feel that the practice has changed their lives too.
Understanding that you have the power to control the mind is liberating. Instead of letting the mind take control of you and stop you from living your life to your full potential, consider taking control of the mind. Mindfulness meditation practices like focusing on the breathing or an object of meditative concentration are helpful. These practices will take your mind from untamed and uncontrolled mind to a more settled mind that you can control and direct to serve you. As mentioned, this requires continuous practice.
“Repetition is the mother of learning, the father of action, which makes it the architect of accomplishment.” Zig Ziglar.
Below is an image which is Calm – Abiding represented as a painting meditation (from Zen literature).
It represents the nine stages you will go through as you start your journey of mindful meditation. As noted, it is a journey and thus one has to keep going with it to reap the benefits
Key Elements of the Calm – Abiding picture
- The monk holding an elephant goad and a lasso (he is the meditator)
- The flame represents the effort or energy for mindfulness and consciousness to tame the mind
- The elephant represents the mind – if untamed it harms others. All suffering is caused by the untamed mind.
- Coloured elephant represents the mental factor of sinking -lethargy
- The monkey is distraction (leading the elephant everywhere and anywhere)
- The coloured monkey – the mental factor of scattering
- Five objects of sensory pleasure are objects of distraction
- The rabbit represents subtle sinking – lethargy. It represents diluting of the mind’s clarity
In the image, there’s a man, an elephant and a monkey; who are depicted to be on a path with a number of curves. At the beginning, the monkey leads the elephant (the mind), and the man pursues them with a flame from a distance. With continuous mindfulness practices, he finally catches up and gains control over the elephant (mind) and colour of the animals starts changing. Then the rabbit disappears and then the monkey too. As he progresses, the mind is controlled and pacified. Then the flame disappears which is a perfect pacification of the mind. The colour completely changes. The flying monk represents bodily bliss and riding the elephant mental bliss. All interruptive factors of scattering and sinking can be settled by being absorbed by an object or breathe. At the end, the mind can now be continuously settled with perfect ease and fast with little amount of mindfulness and clear comprehension. The journey ends with mental equanimity and attainment of shamantha or mental quiescence which are indicated with the monk being able to ride the elephant.
Why the elephant represents the mind. The footprint of the elephant is larger than any other animal’s foot print. Thus, if your mind is tamed, it serves its master than any other and its capacity and scope become unlimited. The effort of mindfulness meditation encompasses four characteristics:
- Effort of guarding: being keen and alert to interferences from outside and all situations and actions.
- Effort of Aspiration: cheerfully and diligently working in such a way that self-defeating depression are in check and eradicated.
- Effort of engagement: which involves the application of energy and positive emotion that are balanced and consistent.
- Effort of attainment: not settling for half-hearted attempt but full attainment because aspiration to end ones’ own suffering and that of others.
Other benefits of mindful mediation include:
- Clear understanding of how thoughts intrude on daily activities and influence your state of being.
- Overall happiness
- Gaining insight and wisdom
- Focus and concentration
- Calmness
- Better sleep habits
- Better management of stress
- Being able to manage the pain
For 2022 and beyond put effort where it is due. Tame your mind so that your mind can be a great servant. Practise mindfulness which will enable you to focus your effort on what is important and ensure that you live fully and serve others.
Source:
http:// tibetanbuddhistencyclopedia.com