I just finished a nice meditation. I find that ten minutes is barely enough. We'll see if I end up extending the time. It feels like it takes about 7-8 minutes for me to actually quiet down my mind. So it's only that last couple of minutes that I actually feel centered and in the moment.
Recently I have found myself focussing on the image of a lotus flower. I preached about this image fairly recently, about the concept of rootedness, but rising above the muck that we grow out of. However, the part that's most significant to my meditation these days is a sense of opening in layers. That is after all my primary focus in growth and in meditation, cultivating a sense of openness to the world around me. Opening my heart. That's my thought and image for the day.
What images or symbols are meaningful for you in your spiritual practice?
Had a good workout (I pushed myself) then did a half hour guided Metta meditation. It went well.
ReplyDeleteI have had two interesting dreams lately that I reflected on during the meditation. In one, an unknown lady showered me with gifts. When I opened them they were all different types of athletic wear. I think my feminine side was acknowledging the importance of the physical and the masculine for me.
In the next dream, a man came up to me and told me that he was going to escort me to an art exhibition and introduce me to the curator. Again, I think the man represented my masculine myself and he appeared as a comforting guide.
Expression of masculinity and the physical is problematic for me because I came of age during the women's movement and I had a difficult experience in childhood that made me dissociate from the physical self. I guess in these dreams I am trying to integrate the masculine and feminine and acknowledge the importance of physical activity for me.