The Power of Stillness.

Active Meditation
by Tobin Blake

Tobin Blake-Have you ever noticed the way figure skaters move in flow
with their music? If you watch carefully, you will notice that the
best skaters are those who just let go and focus completely on the
present state of their body. It is as if they have entered into a
tiny, spotlighted moment during which the audience and the rest of the
world disappear and they are alone in the rink. In those brief minutes
they seem to forget everything and everyone and let their skates sing
in a way that echoes the graceful lines of Life itself.

Other top athletes must also exercise this same type of meditation in
order to compete at the peak of their abilities. They may not call it
meditation, but that's what it is. I have caught athletes, actors,
politicians, police officers, doctors, talk-show hosts, psychologists,
singers, and homeless veterans meditating without being aware of what
they were doing. You also have probably meditated without realizing
it. We have all experienced moments such as this from time to time.
It's no big mystery. What I am suggesting now is that you consciously
seek them out.

Meditation needn't be limited to the little amount of time you
dedicate to it each morning and evening. You can find many moments
during the day that allow you an opportunity to practice. These don't
have to be closed-eye meditations. These "moving meditations" are
important techniques that can help you transfer your meditation to
ordinary moments.

You can consciously practice meditation during just about any
activity. For instance, much of this book was written in a meditative
state. You may even be able to spot some of the passages that I wrote
from a more egocentric viewpoint, others written during very shallow
meditations, and a few from still deeper states. These differences
reflect my own shifting states of consciousness. The goal in
meditative writing is to set your mind inward while allowing your
thoughts to flow from the deeper part of the mind without clinging to
the passing words and sentences, just as a figure skater may lose her
self-awareness and tap into that other place in the human experience
that, somehow, each of us remembers when we think of it.

Even something as simple as walking can form the focus for a
meditation. In walking meditations, much as in writing, the mind is
focused inward -- something you will grow increasingly adept at --
while letting your movements come naturally without attachment. You
become intensely aware of each movement within every step -- the
motion of your steps, the rhythm of your breath, the swing of your
arms. If this is done correctly, your movements become like prayers,
quieting the mind and filling it with a sense of stillness and balance.

The overall aim of any moving meditation is transferring this sort of
expansive experience to otherwise ordinary moments. Generally,
meditation is performed with closed eyes, in stillness. Yet it does us
little good if we are not able to maintain our peace during the course
of the day. All of our time and activities can be devoted to spiritual
development. It is really only a matter of motivation. As we realize
the benefits of meditation, we begin to want to extend these benefits
to every circumstance.

When we bring our meditative mindset to daily life, peace extends to
our every step and breath, to our meals and our work, filling our days
from morning till night. Folding the laundry can be a meditation;
washing the dishes can be a meditation. In fact, all of our daily
activities can be transformed into communion, opening us to the beauty
of each step and every passing instant. Clarity is reflected in our
eyes, actions, words, and thoughts, as a single devotion steps in to
unite every separate aspect of our lives. In this way we can tap into
the great internal flow and let our lives become a continuous
meditation in motion.
Stop and practice

It is important to gradually increase the amount of time you spend in
meditation so that eventually each session lasts for at least a half
an hour. So even if you don't feel completely ready, give ten minutes
once today to the following walking meditation. You'll need some room
to walk around a bit. Also, this exercise may look a little funny to
others, so you may feel more comfortable doing it in private.

1. Stand up straight, facing an area that allows you at least ten
feet or better to walk. Clasp your hands together and hold them
against your chest.

2. Relax. Take a minute to let your thoughts settle down a little.
Take a few deep, deliberate breaths.

3. While you are looking directly ahead of you, center your
awareness on your body; become aware of it. This is the focus of
today's meditation. Let every thought extraneous to a simple quiet
awareness of your body and its movements drift in and out of your mind.

4. Very slowly and deliberately lift one foot up and forward, and
then place it on the ground just in front of you. Focus on the
movement of your foot. Up, forward, down. Once your foot is firmly on
the ground, repeat the action with your other foot. Again, be aware of
each slow movement of your foot and leg.

5. When you reach the end of your walking space, turn around using
a similar meditative awareness of the action while you do it. Then
continue your meditative walk back in the direction from which you
just came.

You aren't going anywhere; you are simply meditating. Your focus is on
the movement. This is really just like your sitting meditations in
that as other thoughts intrude, you continually return to your focus.

The Power of Stillness by Tobin Blake. This article was excerpted from:

The Power of Stillness
by Tobin Blake.

Shared with Love and Light,Rosalie xo