Personally I find meditation is one of the greatest things we can do to guide us down our spiritual path and maintain a healthy life. It works on so many levels and can be very powerful. The trouble is, in today’s modern world of hustle and bustle it can be quite draining and sometimes we forget to take a few minutes each day to meditate. In this post you will discover a very simple way to ensure you get your regular meditation practice back on track…

I was taught to meditate for 20 minutes, twice a day. This is certainly not set in stone and many other meditators will do less or more, but this is what I have become used to. This can be achievable, but when you do a full time job, perhaps have children to look after at home etc., it can be very difficult. Before you know it, it’s time for bed and you’re so tired that if you tried to meditate you would fall asleep immediately!

What I do when I realise I have not been meditating regularly is to start back with some bite-sized meditations. Simply find a quiet place sometime in the day and meditate for 2 minutes. Seriously, anyone can spare 2 minutes for a quick meditation, can’t they? Being 2 minutes late for work, or having 2 minutes less soaking in the bath isn’t going to be a problem. In itself you won’t gain much from a meditation that short, but here’s the secret: do this for a week and it sets your mind back into the routine of meditating regularly. You will then find you want to do the bite-sized meditation twice a day, or maybe extend it to 5 minutes. After a few weeks you will be extending the meditations to 10 mins, 15 minutes… back to whatever time you used to do. Routine is very powerful. It conditions the mind.

What I have found is that making time for these short meditations every day makes you think about meditation. It brings it back into focus through the blur of the day. Try it. Before you know it you will be meditating like you used to before things got so hectic.

I will be posting more about meditation in the future, such as guided meditations and meditation techniques, so please check back or subscribe to the blog.

For several years now I have received a daily email from White Bison which contains a spiritual message, or ‘thought of the day’ if you will. I find this a good way to encourage spiritual thinking and allows you to digest the words in your own time.

White Bison is an American Indian non-profit charitable organization offering healing resources to the Native American community nationwide. Many non-Native people also use White Bison’s healing resource products, attend its learning circles, and volunteer their services. You can sign up for the daily Meditation of the Day which will arrive in your email every morning to bring you a spiritual message that will encourage a healthy mind.

Here is a typical meditation, entitled “Respect Mother Earth”

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“We are responsible for the condition of the Earth. We are the ones who are responsible and we can change that. If we wake up, it is possible to change the energy. It is possible to change everything.”
Hunbatz Men, MAYAN

“The environment we want outside will be created by the mental pictures we have inside out heads. We must have the right environmental picture as well as the right values. These values will give the mental picture its true meaning. If we respected Mother Earth, we would not throw garbage on Her, nor would we put poison in Her. We would not misuse Her in any way. Mother Earth is like She is today because of the mental pictures of previous generations as well as the mental pictures of our own generation. If we want the environment to change, each individual must change their mental picture. As within, so without.”

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I highly recommend their daily digest, which is free and full of deep spiritual values.

This video from www.elestial.tv is a hauntingly beautiful piece of music that sounds like it has been created by the angels themselves! Listening to it and watching the graphics of the video imparts a serene feeling and puts you in that sacred space of spiritual peace that we find in meditation. I find this music truly beautiful, like I could listen to it all day long!

You can buy the cd at Heaven on Earth Music – the disc is called ‘Sacred Chants of Devi – Mother Divine‘. The descriptions is “Sublime & spacious vocal chants to the Divine Mother – Devi. Mother Divine can be found in all the world’s traditions and She brings forth the qualities of love, compassion, caring and beauty. These spacious chants can transport the listener to a celestial space of deep calm and bliss. The 108 sacred names of Mother Divine (the “Lalitha Ashtotram”) is a sacred text from thousands of years ago. Features visionary painter and Art of Living vocalist, Ananda, with music, arrangements and production by Craig Pruess. Pure and powerful.”

I think that sums it up very well, so let your mind unwind, your body let go and your spirit float away…

I think most people who are lucky enough to have a spiritual outlook on life try and live by a few core principles which help to keep them focussed on their spiritual path throughout the day. Personally I have three which I keep referring myself to: Love, Peace and Understanding. For me, these are a guide for everyday living. They offer a base by which anything can be created, overcome or discussed. These qualities can conquer all.

I try to remember these when talking to people, working or just relaxing. Perhaps I’m talking to someone who is rubbing me up the wrong way – I’ll try to remember understanding so I don’t judge them in my mind. After all, we are all making the best of our current state of mind. That’s an important thing to remember. Sometimes we are in a spiritual place in our heads, sometimes we are angry and do stupid things – but we are all doing our best for our current situation.

I try to feel love when walking down the street or talking to people. I try to radiate that warm, loving energy. It’s like I want to show people how nice you can feel when you have that spiritual feeling inside you. It makes you want to spread the love!

Peace is so wonderful, when you really are at peace with the world and yourself. I feel this most when meditating regularly. It just makes you feel like nothing can upset you – everything is in perfect balance and harmony.

I think each one of these qualities relates to the others and bringing even one into your day will help you to bring the others too. It’s a knock-on effect. The Beatles said “All you need is love”. I would add ‘peace’ and ‘understanding’ and be happy with that. If everyone lived by those principles, or even just one of them, imagine what a lift that would give to the world?

So what principles do you live by?

I would like to wish everyone reading this a very warm welcome to this tiny corner of the great wide web. I’m LittleRiver and I will be using this site to hopefully bring you inspiration and discussions on spiritual matters, in an attempt to explore and encourage a more spiritual outlook on the world for all of us.

Please bookmark and follow me and I’m sure we can all learn a lot from each other and help bring more love, peace and understanding into our lives and out into the world.