Just Choose Again

During lockdown many people explored meditation.

Working from home kept our minds in a box.

Meditation showed us new worlds.

Meditation is a lot of things to a lot of people. Most people think of meditation as focusing on a mantra or your breath. I find this type of meditation frustrating.

Guided meditation is when someone walks me through a journey of mind.

I have dashed across the universe- riding a Mystical Dragon of Change.
I have walked among my ancestors.
I have danced with my heirs.
I created a beach island where I can go ride mental bikes whenever I need to reset.

In meditation, you learn to create you own garden.

You learn that eden is a place inside your heart.

We learn that we have not been kicked out of the garden.

You learn that you are the garden.

You create your own garden.

Meditation gives you access to teachers from across time and distance. The greatest teachers are available to you right now, without a trip to Nepal.

AND…

You can find joy again.

You can create joy again.

You can recognize when you are in joy, what makes you happy.

What makes you happy?

In NONE-GUIDED meditation, the teacher often focuses on getting you to relax part of your body.

It’s a bit like hypnosis.

They will count down from a certain number, making a stop at each one to explain how much more relaxed your.

“Your feet are feeling very relaxed, 5…”

I find this type of meditation a bit pedantic. If it works for you, great.

“The bottoms of your feet are feeling more relaxed then they ever have… 4.”

They continue this way. When I listen to this type of meditation, I think, “Why am I not doing guided meditation?”

My first guided meditation teacher described it as, “A time in space adventure featuring gods, space aliens and a connection unlike you have had before.”

She was right.

“Let your thoughts drift away, focus on your breath… 3.”

The breathing thing, I can’t vibe.

“Now your heart chakra is glowing. 2…”

I am happy to focus on my breath, but 30 minutes of trying to get back to my center with breathing, it’s hard to get into.

“At the sound one, you will be totally relaxed. 1.”

I’m sure this is a proven way to relax for someone, but damn, it’s boring.

At one point during lockdown, I meditated using Insight Timer for 111 days in a row. During that experience, I found a teacher I will recommend.

**Sarah Blondin, on Insight Timer, is a human treasure.**

She will help you see joy.

She will help you be free of worry.

She will help you stop.

Here’s how her meditations go:

First, she talks about a subject. For example, ‘How to look at your life’s choices through a new lens, bringing a new sense of trust your current choices.’

Next, Sarah invites you to close your eyes while she talks about that same subject, but in a deeper, more connection and reflection inviting way.

I hear what you are saying, “Sure man, that sounds great, more meditation.”

I was a professional snowboarding instructor at one point. (It sounds more glamorous than it was). But If you go snowboarding for the first time, I recommend you take a lesson. Getting it wrong can be painful.

Time and again I would watch people in jeans get off the lift at the top of the mountain and just try to ride down.

Most of us don’t have context for snowboarding. But we are certain we can do it.

I think the same may be true about life.

Take a lesson.

Meditation, in this manner, is a snowboarding lesson, for life.

Download the ‘Insight Timer’ app and look for an easy starter episode, “Remembering Trust,” by Sarah Blondin.

A further word about Sarah. Most of the meditation you see involves the person pushing their own character, their own vibe – in front of the message. The sage or the guru or the card person or the astrology chick.

Not Sarah.

Sarah is a complete shaolin monk when it comes delivering the message in a way that is clear and practiced to the point of seeming natural.

She pushes no external agenda.

It feels like your mom’s best friend is a super-kick-ass-teacher. She is not trying to be anyone but Sarah Blondin. She rocks at this job.

She thinks you should try to the same, for yourself, which is kind of the point of this site. Go for your OWN ride…

The episode I recommend, “Remembering Trust,” Sarah ends the meditation with a day-altering nugget,

“Hush now…