Meditation and Resistance

Lent is generally a time to start a diet. It was originally adopted by society to promote the salted fish industry. Nevertheless, despite its roots in food, Lent can be a time to reconnect with ourSelves and to deeply ponder the Christian belief of Jesus' sacrifice and, more broadly, the presence of the Divine in our lives. (Technically, dieting is a physical manifestation of reconnecting to yourself and paying more attention, but I challenge you to delve slightly deeper.)

 God simply asks that we surrender and give of ourselves; everything else is done for us as the Universe is here to support us.  Nevertheless, when we preoccupy ourselves with worry and negativity, we are not open to receive. We are resisting our gifts including those we strongly desire. In yoga postures and stretches, we may experience a physical manifestation of resistance. When we tense up at new openings in our body, we can create something worse than the congestion and restriction previously present.

Meditation and taking some quiet time allow us to remove ourselves from mental and spiritual resistance, worry, and negativity. Furthermore, the practice makes us receptive to the peace, clarity, contentment, and love that are sitting there in piles waiting on us. If we do not take a moment to meditate or simply breath, then we are passively or directly refusing to stop and accept possession of them which is quite reckless. It is navigating without being at the metaphorical helm or driving with mud covering the windshield which are both stress and chaos producing. Secondly, when we do not take a moment to regroup internally, we are ignoring the Divine who is standing there waiting for our attention, waiting to give us the very love, wholeness, peace, and understanding for which we run around in circles on this Earth. Besides being inefficient, it's pretty unappreciative, disrespectful, and down right mean to our Higher Power.

Most of us would like to take a luxurious 15 minutes for God and ourselves but, due to life - children, work, relationships, and a combination thereof, we cannot. Some of us (myself included) could swing it and simply do not make an effort on a regular basis which raises further questions about self love and other topics that I may cover one day. Either way, in the harried moments of life, there are always spaces in between, and your breath is always there for you - to feed you and return you to the helm.

So, when you are overwhelmed with stress, fear, negativity, or just the nuances of the day-to-day or when you encounter physical or mental resistance, first, be cognizant of that which you are personally creating (trust me, there is already enough.) Then, replace what you can with openness, breath, and appreciation thereby allowing yourself to be receptive to the ripples of support, love, divinity, peace, and clarity that await you in the midst of life's tsunamis. Wipe clear the window or windshield so that you can see and possess the gifts of the Universe and the traces of positivity in humanity. This may sound idealistic, but, in this day and age, what else is there to do?

Namaste,
Crystal