Simple, but not easy.

I've just been listening to an interview with Dr Jon Kabat-Zinn,who founded the Stress Reduction Clinic at the University of Mass Medical School.  He's also the author of many books on mindfulness, including 'Wherever you go - there you are.'  Such a good book title, becuase it's true...dammit! 

I haven't read any of Kabat-Zinn's books yet, but, after this interview  I'll be tracking some down. He seems to be an excellent communicator, describing meditation as 'simple, but not easy,'  and saying the process of meditation is about 'bringing out own shadow back into the light.' 

Part of the interview was about some common misconceptions about meditation.   If I ever write a book about meditation it'll be called 'It's not about the breath'  - becuase I spent about 10 years fixated on the idea that clinging rigidly to my breath (and slaying my thoughts and feelings) was what meditation was all about.  Doh!  So, these misconceptions abound, and I don't think they're addressed often enough in meditation classes, or teachings. 

Here are Kabat-Zin's top three meditation misconceptions - 

1) Meditation is 'kind of like making your mind go blank,' so you'll be like a 'glowing, lightbulb of happiness,' with no worries or thoughts.  This is a misconception;  meditation is about really getting us in touch with all of life -  not being blank, or empty. 

2) The aim of meditation is to achieve a state of pure bliss. A lot of what we experience moment-to-moment isn't blissful.  We can aim to chase a certain state, like bliss, overlooking the fact that the bliss comes from  just being in contact with life as it is. State-chasing can result in a lot of frustration and confusion in meditation practice.

3) Meditation involves stopping.  Yes, formal meditation does involve stopping, but it's possible to meditate running, chopping vegetables, making love.  We don't have to stop our lives to meditate. We can meditate wherever we are, however we're feeling.

Interesting stuff.  I wish I'd listened to this interview when I began my meditation practice. But, hey, maybe learning the hard way is my karma.  (What the hell did I do in my last life?  I hope it was fun, that's all I can say.)

Here is a list of Kabat-Zinn's books -

• Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain and Illness (Dell, 1990)

• Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life (Hyperion, 1994)

• Everyday Blessings: The Inner Work of Mindful Parenting (Hyperion, 1997) 
  

• Coming to Our Senses: Healing Ourselves and the World Through Mindfulness (Hyperion, 2005)

• The Mindful Way Through Depression: Freeing Yourself from Chronic Unhappiness (with Williams, Teasdale, and Segal - Guildford, 2007)

Temple - Chiang Mai, Thailand

Photoshop meditation analogy

 Over the last few days I've been fiddling around with Photoshop - trying to learn how to use the darned thing!  Determined to overcome this little Everest of computer software I started looking around for some on-line tutorials and, joy oh joy, finally worked out how to open a photo. My next task was looking at layers.  If you haven't used Photoshop, the layers are a little bit like working with transparencies. You can layer image upon image. Then, you lock all the layers together to form one picture.

Yesterday I did a little meditation session and realised how like 'layers' my mind is. I would have a thought, let's say - "I really haven't been feeling so well the last few days." And then, layer upon layer, other thoughts and emotions would start appearing -

"Actually, I haven't been so well all this year, is that right? Yes, I think that's right."

Anxiety.

"Maybe I'm slowly getting worse.  Not only will I never get well, I'm going to get worse!"

Despair.

"It's my fault, I've always push myself too much, my body is just wearing out."

Blame.

"But, heaps of other people have been as sick as me and got well."

Hope.

"But, really?  Could that happen to me?  I don't think so."

Hopelessness

And then, just like in photoshop, all these layers lock together. They become one picture, which then plays over and over in my mind. Maybe one of the tricks with meditation is to learn to see these layers, and then become adept at recognising, 'OK...I'm layering my thoughts and then creating a mental picture of what I think is happening. Hmmm...let's just watch that.'

In truth, I really don't know what is happening with my health, and that makes me anxious. Living in the unknown, with no definite picture, is very difficult. But, having the 'layers' image in my head has helped to give me a little bit more perspective on my thoughts and feelings. I'm trying not to dismiss or fight these layering thoughts, but  just let them exist without investing too much energy into them.  A tricky balance.

So!  Enough of meditation...here's something I've been mucking around with in photoshop. It's a photo of my sister that I've turned into black and white, and then into a stencil design. (She said it was very 'first year art school' which I'm taking as a yuuuuge compliment!)

Sharon Salzberg - retreat podcasts

I've come across some podcasts of a day-long retreat with Sharon Salzberg.  

Sharon's a Buddhist meditation teacher and I really love to hear her talks becuase she sounds so down-to-earth.  I don't get the idea she's floating around on some spiritual cloud ten miles above the rest of us poor sods -  she just seems like regular folk.

Sharon has a particular interest in vipassana (insight) meditation, and Loving Kindness (metta) meditation, and leads retreats and workshops around the world. I was thrilled to see that the Insight Meditation Community of Washington's website has the audio of a day-long workshop that Sharon led in Febuary 2009. The workshop was titled "Working with Your Enemies: Finding Freedom from Hostility and Fear."

The audio includes Sharon leading a Loving Kindness meditation, a balance meditation, and doing question and answer sessions with participants. I've been listening to it over and over again over the last few days, and have really enjoyed it.  

 May you be happy :)

Introduction

Hi! Welcome to The Chronic Meditator.  Here are some links to different posts you might be interested in. 

• Meditation ideas: Simple Breath Meditation , Pain Meditation 
• My meditation experiences:  Voices in My Head, Too Wired to Meditate, Photoshop Meditation Analogy, Emasculated by Buddhism and The Guest House.
  
• Different meditation postures:  Lie back and think of...your breath.
  
• LovingKindness (metta) meditation: Stealth Metta, and Sharon Salzberg retreat podcast 
  
• Reflections on living with a chronic illness: The 1001 Things, and Fishing Without a Hook. 
• And, if you're just dying to read a rant about my mum...pop over here.

God Loves Everyone - song by Ron Sexsmith

Well, never thought I'd use the 'G' word on this blog, but this song is worth it.  Ron Sexsmith is a Canadian singer/songwriter with an enviable ability to write haunting melodies, and lyrics to match.

I just saw a live version of  'God Loves Everyone' on You Tube - and then downloaded the chords so I could bash away at it on the piano.  In a lesser song-writer this song would sound contrived, but in Ron's hands, it speaks to universal love and forgiveness. Beautiful!

If you're in need of a bit of kindness in your life - check this out.

God Loves Everyone was written in response to the 1998 murder of Matthew Shepard, a gay University of Wyoming student. In one interview Ron Sexmith said, "I just remember in the heat of the moment scribbling down all the lyrics and then not really knowing if I could sing it. I was a bit worried that some people might take it the wrong way or be offended. It's been interesting to see the response, it's really gotten every response imaginable - some people have been upset, some people have thanked me. I am glad I wrote it and I'm glad we put it on [the CD]"

Below are the song's lyrics, and click here for a PDF of the guitar/piano chords.

 

God loves everyone
Like a mother loves her son
No strings at all
Unconditional
Never one to judge
Would never hold a grudge
'Bout what's been done
God loves everyone

There are no gates in heaven
Everyone gets in
Queer or straight
Souls of every faith
Hell is in our minds
Hell is in this life
But when it's gone
God takes everyone

Its love is like a womb
It’s like the air from room to room
It surrounds us all
The living and the dead
May we never lose the thread
That bound us all

The killer in his cell
The atheist as well
The pure of heart
And the wild at heart
Are all worthy of its grace
It's written in the face
Of everyone
God loves everyone

There's no need to be saved
No need to be afraid
Cause when it’s done
God takes everyone

God loves everyone