Thursday, June 20, 2013

Simple Meditation

I always swore I'd never be the kind of person who gets so lost in their job, family and responsibilities that I'd lose track of myself. But you know what? I did. It is so easy to do.

When my kids were small, I remember clearly having a couple of hours free and not even knowing what to do with the time. When I asked myself, what I (me, myself, Ruth) wanted to do, I had no idea because it had been so long since I had any time for myself. I remember realizing that was maybe a problem.

Did I do anything about it? No, I just keep going on the treadmill, for years and years.

It was several years later, when both my parents passed away that I realized I had really no way to handle it. I was so detached from myself, my emotions, my thoughts, that I had no idea what to do with these very hard and painful events.

That is when I really had to stop.

Because at that point I knew (like really knew) that getting my kids clothes, cooking a nice dinner or getting a raise were not going to help at all. I was about 10-12 years behind on dealing with my own stuff and couldn't go on that way. The pain was too much.

So I stopped a lot of stuff to let some space into my life, just for me, just because I needed it.

I really don't want to preach - but I think I'm not unusual. So, I'll go out on a limb and say - Hey maybe you need some space too.

Are you frazzled? Do you think it really needs to get better soon? Do you want a few more hours? Do you yell at your kids and husband more than you should? Yes, Yes, Yes!

I feel that way all the time and I've found that meditation really helps. There are a few things that meditation really helps with:

  • slowing down the pace of the heart and breathing when stress hits me
  • putting myself in a place to understand my dreams better
  • create time to feel who and what I am
  • reach out to God and feel his presence

One of the very best ways that I've found to do that is meditation and I wish I'd discovered it sooner. It's better than almost any other thing I've tried, so I'll share my very simple method.

Just a Few Easy Steps


Sit somewhere comfortable and quiet. I'm not a stickler for correct posture, finger postures, eyes open or closed. Just sit and focus on your breath in and out.
  1. Breath in to a slow count to 7.   1..2..3..4..5..6..7. When you start, I can usually count to 4 before I need to inhale or exhale. That's a sympton of my stress level. But after a few breathes in and out I find that I count to 4, then I don't need to inhale right away, so I just let myself breath when my lungs want to, so now I"m at 5 or 6, and I just keep relaxing and breathing until I'm at 7 in and 7 out.
  2. Take your mind off the breathing and visualize something you find beautiful, the sea, a flower, or listen to relaxing music.
  3. If you find that you are back worrying or stressing over some problem or situation, or what you need to do next, just say 'I'm not going to think about that now.' Keep pushing those reminders of what you should be doing out of your mind and go back to your flower, or sunlight.
  4. Other things - let you mind wander over to the fact that you are at peace, your spirit is at peace, you are in the presence of God.
  5. Sometimes I actually feel that I've gone to a different place, there is almost a click, or a change in the light as if shifting back from the world into myself. That is the place I'm trying to get to.
Spend as long as you want. I find 20-30 minutes in meditation is very relaxing and settling. It also can put me in a frame of mind to consider and mull over dream messages. Different associations will often form in my mind as I mediate or after meditation that helps me uncover dream meanings.

Enjoy your meditation time and it will help you enjoy your whole day. I promise!
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Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Change is Good - Three's, Shamrocks, Delta's

If we believe that life is the journey and not the destination, then we can always be looking for the next step, or in reality what we think of as 'change.' To tell the truth, I have a love/hate relationship with change. Sometimes I desperately yearn for change, and sometimes changes that drop suddenly into my life are very unwelcome!

Hopefully as we get older and wiser we realize that even the unwelcome changes often bring unexpected benefits, lovely new people, growth in ourselves, cultivation of new abilities. Is it all good then? Well, I can't honestly say that it is, but it is what it is, right? We move with the flow and try to navigate in the direction we think would be best. Mostly that works out ok.

Change


One of the most common themes in my dream is 'Change.' Change of attitude, change of place, change in relationships, change in plans, change in family life. I find that the number three is associated many times with Change dreams. I might have three dreams in a row with the same theme, or three people (myself and two others), or even shamrocks.

Shamrocks and Clovers




photograph of three leafed clovers
Three leafed clovers

Now, if you are familiar with St. Patrick, you will know the shamrock as the symbol that St. Patrick used to explain the trinity to the Irish people that he worked among as a Christian missionary. In that context, the leaves represent the three aspects or faces of God, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, as well as the unity of the three. So, the shamrock or three leaf clover can symbolize aspects of unity, difference, and interconnectness of concepts, or values too. But, I also find that three leaves can related to the Delta, or three message of change. If my dream contains a field of clover or shamrocks, or any kind of three, I look for both interconnectedness and change messages.

Do I need to change, grow, explore, open my heart, go to another level?



Three, Triangle, Delta



handwritten note for 'Oil Change' where change is represented by the delta symbol
Oil Change note to Self
Somewhere in my math education I learned to use the Greek symbol of the triangle, the Delta, to represent the difference between A and B. 'The Delta'  is often used in the business world too and I use it all the time in my personal shorthand. It is a perfect shorthand for the difference, or distance between point A (where I am now) and point B (where I am going next).

So, do I actually see the triangle? Actually no, rather there will be 3 of something. Then working through the dream's theme and purpose, I will find it is point to some aspect of myself that might need a serious refresh, and the 3 will be an underlying hint that I need to start changing in tune with the dream.

Learning Life's Lessons Through Dreams


Often, I wonder, am I done with this theme yet? have a changed enough? am I there yet? should I focus on other areas? Change dreams often answer that question pointing out more change on the current learning theme or moving on to another lesson in life.

In her book The Dream Book, Betty Bethards says our dreams are like lessons in school and our waking life is where we do our homework. Sometimes the work is slow, sometimes it goes quickly. Our dreams let us know when we are done. <Link>

Except we are not ever done, not ever there, are we? I still haven't found what I'm looking for.

"I still haven't found what I'm looking for" by U2 + Gospel Choir

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