Jack, my ten-year old son and I, were watching Weird Al Yankovic videos on YouTube like "Trapped in the Drive Thru" and just generally hanging out when a natural pause occurred.
"You wanna do a meditation?" I asked. "Sure," Jack responded.
A spontaneous guided meditation appeared that we both enjoyed. I've been interested in sensing what is most immediate and primary, what is closer than any sensation or thought. There are different words used to point to the immediacy and directness of the life that is here even prior to any sense perceptions or mind activity. Words like presence, being-ness, awareness.
So in this meditation Jack and I started with the realms of sensation and thought and then opened to the realm of simply being.
It went something like this, with huge open pauses between each sentence:
Listen to the sounds that are occurring now.
Can you hear the sound of your own breathing?
Can you feel the air touching your arms?
Notice whatever thoughts are appearing. Notice whatever feelings and emotions are present.
Now be aware of what is closest.
Can you feel your own presence?
Can you sense your own being?
Allow yourself to know fully the fact that you are here now.
When you feel your own life force here very clearly, you will notice something very interesting.
You will notice that now you can sense this same life force in everything else.
As you sense your own presence, look at the tree outside the window and feel its presence too. Trees are full of presence.
Feeling your own being, you can sense the being of another person.
Keep feeling the fact that you are here, and now sense the reality, the being, of everything in this room- the table, the walls, everything is full of presence.
Feel the life energy inside of you and at the same time feel the life energy of everything that is here.
This is oneness.
We were silent and still sitting next to each other on the couch for some time.
There was a sense of the mind slowing down, a sense of being alive, present, and real.
Then we went with Greg to see the new Steve Carrell comedy, "Dinner for Schmucks", which we thoroughly enjoyed. Now Jack is calling me so it's time to sign off. Hope you enjoyed sharing this meditation with us.
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Essence is everywhere, don't try to find it, just notice the fact that you are alive and aware right now.
Sensing the alive awareness that we are is easy, it just tends to be an underused ability in a mind-dominated civilization. For an instant, stop looking away from this moment into some kind of imagined superior moment. Don't make it hard, simply feel the life that you are now- the life that doesn't need improvement and that couldn't possibly be improved.
~
Gratitude for photo, from this link: http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.eastgwillimbury.ca/Assets/Environment/Sustainability/Green%2BTree%2BPic.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.eastgwillimbury.ca/Environment/10_Ways_to_Reduce_Greenhouse_Gases.htm&usg=__kAodJHRmoNrjwfIGFNu781Eluq4=&h=853&w=1280&sz=322&hl=en&start=150&sig2=nnj27xQ1YBjD9vFyCKQhYQ&tbnid=R3nvESuKiiIIwM:&tbnh=157&tbnw=209&ei=W6hUTOKoH8qAnwftjtSTBA&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dtree%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26biw%3D1366%26bih%3D641%26tbs%3Disch:10,3758&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=1050&vpy=214&dur=1259&hovh=183&hovw=275&tx=210&ty=77&page=8&ndsp=18&ved=1t:429,r:11,s:150&biw=1366&bih=641
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16 comments:
Thank you for sharing this sweet mediation with your son and with all of us. I only wish I had kept it simple with my children instead of feeling I had to leave them for some spiritual realm. What an incredible lost opportunity. As for myself there is still a largely pervasive feeling that I have to do something extraordinary to erradicate this feeling of separation. Often the deepest are the simplest...with a relaxed attention. Throw love in the mix -- not hard to do with a beautiful soul sitting right next to you -- and voila. One.
Thank you for such a sweet sharing.
XOXO
-Leslie
Relaxed attention- un-fixated awareness is a dilation that lets reality in, we are then on the ground of present being and no longer drowning in the mind-stories. I feel oneness with you Leslie, oneness also in the grief of feeling like an imperfect parent- I think this is a grief that comes to all parents to some extent...
I always look forward to your comments Leslie, you keep me warm out here in cyberspace.
Thank you,
Colleen
Listening to Weird Al - who my son loves - is just as much oneness as a guided meditation. Especially "Fat".
He's so lucky to have such a great mom. Truly blessed.
Aloha
Thank you for sharing such a cute yet powerful meditation and what wonderful sensations to share with your son x Very special and makes me feel all warm inside :)
Hi Suzanne,
I just watched Weird Al's video "Fat" which I had never seen before- it's terrific! I can't wait to show it to Jack and Greg when they get back from their bike ride. Thanks for mentioning it. And also for pointing out that listening to Weird Al is as much oneness as a guided meditation...after all, what does oneness leave out? By definition, nothing can be apart from oneness, and even the dualistic mind that divides everything is integral to the whole.
Thank you also for the interview you did with Non-duality Magazine- reading it shook the sleep from my eyes. I recommend this new online magazine to everyone, which you can find through Google (interview with Suzanne is in Volume 2).
I'm grateful for your presence here Suzanne- and now Jack just walked in...time for "Fat."
Hi Aliman,
Thanks for your comment and for visiting!
Aloha,
Colleen
Hi Susanne,
I love guided meditations, and I'm glad my kids are receptive to doing them. They can be a kind of spelunking into the core of being- an adventure of sorts. I'm glad you felt the warmth within yourself when reading the post. Thank you very much for visiting and commenting Susanne.
Just this -- I LOVED going thru the 100+ Metallica songs with my son -- is sometimes way easier than a guided meditation because I have just left off my huge stumbling block of 'trying'...
XOXO
-Leslie
It's ironic that 'trying' can be a huge stumbling block, but I agree with you completely Leslie. Many times the biggest obstacle has been my very efforts to overcome (yo-yo dieting would be a case in point)...I like the Buddha's teaching on "right effort" being like a well-tuned lute string, neither too tight nor too loose. Sometimes there is a sense of being in that effortless wind that is neither the straining of over-effort nor the lethargy of under-effort...
I'm glad you loved going thru the 100 plus Metallica songs with your son. I don't know much about music, but I like the raw energy and honesty of some of the Metallica music- sounds like a great way to spend time with your son.
Hi Colleen,
Right now my brain is feeling a bit like Metallica. There is the deepest, deepest, deepest doubt that I will EVER be able to see through appearances. I just don't see this happening. Anyone have any suggestions as to how to blow that wide open? I mean...so that there is clear seeing...so that I see this doubt as none other than me?
XOXO
-Leslie
Hi Leslie,
Reading your message, a remarkable 4 minute YouTube video comes to mind, it is called "Jeff Foster talks about depression." Jeff says when he was depressed he had this overwhelming feeling of "I can't do this." Finally it dawned on him that there is a truth in depression...he say in fact he could not manage the huge tasks he had been demanding that he accomplish. In recognizing his powerlessness was his power...
Check it out if you have a chance and let me know what you think. Thanks for asking great questions and for communicating what you are experiencing. I relate to your feelings of doubt and frustration that you will ever be able to see through appearances...maybe 'you' never will, and what sees this is a deeper you...
Love,
Colleen
Hi Colleen,
Thank you for pointing me to Jeff's video. I had seen that a while back...so beautifully put. He has a great simplicity about this message.
Speaking of 'can't do it by myself'...if the upcoming calendar for this month does not force the issue of surrender I don't know what. Without any of the million things that need to get done the very thought of my mother and step-father coming out would be enough to force the issue. Trust has been mangled with but even that story will have to get shelved...somehow. Thanking all of you blog-amigos (to use a sweet ML phrase)...you are truly the greatest support and I don't even know you...save the Tender Heart of Awareness that you all are.
XOXO
-Leslie
I to have recently allowed my kids to join in while i am listening to Free Guided Meditations. They truly enjoy it and it brings our family closer!
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