It is not so much what happens in the sitting, it is the wisdom that arises from knowing where my mind and heart are on the inner path.
There is a wisdom that develops when I practise mindfulness meditation. Why just yesterday, I noticed a strong feeling of aversion to doing errands in the car. The constant in and out, standing in line, and making wise decisions about using my money was irritating to me. Because I sometimes feel that irritation while I'm sitting, I noted that this was aversion. Just saying that to myself diffused the feeling. Why? Because taking note of what is going on in the mind brings you into present moment awareness. I checked on my breath and scanned for tense places in my body and regained my composure.
Walking this inner path has made my prayer life more consistent. I would never think of logging the minutes I spent in prayer, but I do log the minutes I spend in meditation. I log the time to stay accountable for at least 30 minutes a day. So there I am, quiet and ready. When I meditate I feel God's presence. Consequently I turn to Him naturally because I have space for him both physically, in my office, and mentally because I am training my mind to stay in the present moment. I have this notion that He exists in the present moment. The inner path has made the outer path of Christianity more powerful.
"O Lord, wilt thou not shut the gates of righteousness before me, that I may walk in the path of the low valley, that I may be strict in the plain road."
2 Nephi 4:32I have been writing with the Five Minute Friday Group for two years and I really enjoy the talented writers who share their work. Would you like to join?
I love how you're being intentional in devoting time to switching off from things and meditating. I think it is much easier to turn to God and also to listen to him when we can get rid of other distractions and create some space.
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