meditation: as easy as leashing a tiger
by annaleah atkinson

The first time I sat down to meditate I was psyched! I believed what my teacher told me, “Meditation nourishes our spirit in body as much as food nourishes the physical body. How can one connect to the Beloved Creator if one’s mind is babbling on?” The object is to still the mind, to turn off the physical senses so that Spirit could permeate my consciousness.“Initially it takes about 20 minutes to take effect. It’s best to do itat least twice a day and before a meal, so that digestion won’t make one sleepy.”
I light a candle for morning meditation, sit upright in a chair, close my eyes, and begin silently repeating a phrase that is supposed to help me still my mind.
“If your mind wanders, gently stop the interruptive thought and return the consciousness to your phrase.”

Within about a minute I think about whether I’m sitting right, what would happen if I go over 20 minutes, what I’m going to wear when I finish, why my mind wanders, what I might experience when I connect with spirit, etc. Sometimes I don’t even get back to my phrase before the next thought interrupts. Damn! Oops, “gently return the mind to the phrase.” When 20 minutes is over I haven’t reached much stillness.“One of the benefits of meditation is that it helps reduce stress.”

Hmmm. I’ve just created the stress that I feel like a failure atmeditation. We’ll see how the rest of the day goes...No observable differences....sigh. Before dinner I meditate again....Maybe I’m doingbetter than the morning???“Initially many thoughts bubble up from the consciousness that you have been holding down, and that need release. Acknowledge them, release them, and return to the phrase.”

I begin......phrase.....Good grief, I thought I was over HIM....... .....phrase.....What will I have for dinner?...maybe we can go out...sigh....phrase.....phrase......Whoa! That wasn’t a holy thought!......phrase....I just don’t know if I’m getting better at this.I go to my teacher for coaching. He grins. “You must continue. In the beginning it will be more difficult, but as the stress is released you will be able to meditate for longer periods of time.” I meditate at the center, worry less about my not being good enough, and feel a littlemore peace.That was in August 1972. I continued, and have tried many different ways to meditate. They are all tools to get to the beautiful stillness of the soul. I use different ones at different times. Sometimes I’ll be reading an inspirational passage and I just want to stay in the fullness of theexperience of it. I create stillness in my mind to absorb it.

Occasionally I only have a few moments, so I follow my breath in and out. Meditation recharges one’s spiritual battery which energizes the rest of the body. Often I quiet my mind after I have said a prayer, to feel the spiritual response, which may prompt me to more prayer. I use a 7-step meditation process for deep spiritual work for myself and others.It does release stress. The challenge is that when you’re extra stressed, it can be harder to meditate to help alleviate the stress. Still, it is the way. When I still my mind I am raising my vibration to accept the wave lengths of Spirit, which comes in the “still small voice within”.When I get all ruffled up or confused, the best way I have of dealing with it is to call on the Holy Spirit for help. My prayer is something like “Dear One, I am not at peace right now, which I know is my natural state. I know that all humans are holy ones, children of God. I know that You know exactly what needs to happen for the highest good of All. I ask that You lead me to a clear perception of exactly what I should do. Speak or show me in ways loud and obvious enough for me to get. it.” ...Then I commit to doing my best to keep my peace, staying alert for the answer, and not taking action until I feel God’s blessing in it. Then stop the worry. Do what has worked in the past to bring you tobalance, such as taking a hot scented bath, walking in a beautiful place, or listening to music which causes you to create beautiful realities or objects. Enjoy the grace!

Annaleah Atkinson, M. Ed., is an interfaith minister who assists others in their spiritual reawakening, is on the board of the Asheville Mediation Center, a co-steward of Spirit Haven, a spiritual retreat center near Asheville, NC., and author of To Call Every Woman a Sister.To reach her, or learn more about Spirit Haven visit spirithaven.net.