Trinity Bourne, Contributor
Waking Times

Anytime, anywhere, anyone

The wonderful thing about meditation is that anybody can do it. Contrary to popular belief there is no right or wrong way to practice it. It is an innate expression of the soul, and can be done anywhere, anytime, any environment, whilst engaged in anything. It can happen whilst walking in the woods, washing the laundry, swimming in the ocean, dancing, singing, chopping wood, surfing, running, sitting in a busy airport waiting for your plane…

It’s a state of being. It’s about presence .
It’ about being here right now in this moment.
If we reserve it purely for sitting quietly in isolation then we are missing something important. It’s about the whole and complete, unbridled ‘allness’ of life.

Why meditate?

Internal presence opens the space for us to embrace who we truly are. When we experience it, we are brought to a place of profound self honesty. From here we can then act in accordance with what we are divinely given to do in life. We begin to see exactly what we need to see. We see our ‘stuff’ more and more clearly. We gain insight in how best to deal with that ‘stuff’. We are able to discern, both what we need to let go of and realise what we need to embrace. When we’ve dealt with most of our own inner conflicts we begin to see and understand the bigger picture.

Meditation definitely doesn’t have to be boring. To me it is an incredibly exciting affirmation of existence. It’s an art that happens spontaneously whenever we catch the wave and start riding the flow of universal life energy. It’s a gift that we can embrace by bringing our attention to it.

Guided meditation

There are many different approaches that offer guided meditation for a whole multitude of purposes. Many are aligned with higher consciousness, some can be misleading.

The main benefit I see of guided meditation is that it can take us on a deeper journey than we would go on our own. With certain meditation guidance, we might venture to the places in our inner world that we might not have even realised were there, with boundless potential to let go and move ever onwards.

People often ask me my opinion on meditation. When contemplating guided meditation I would look at what the purpose of the meditation is. Is it assisting you to unravel your blockages in order that you align with your soul? Is it helping you to attune to higher consciousness? Is it helping you to find yourself? Is it helping you attune to benevolent consciousness? OR is it inviting you to create an alternative reality whilst (subtly) denying your issues?

It is common that people want to meditate to relax and de-stress. It’s wonderful to attune to the lightness and find internal peace, as long as we are consciously unravelling those aspects of ourselves that denied our equilibrium in the first place. This is really important. If relaxation and unwinding of tension leads to an opening of presence, then the meditation has served its purpose. The one word of caution I would say is that if a meditation encourages denial of any sort, beware – you will just have to deal with whatever is being stuffed back under the rug at some point in the future. The most fruitful way to peace is to let go of the restrictions that bind you (not plaster over them). There are lots of meditations that will support this process.

Guiding meditation is most definitely an art that some people are gifted at. The energy through voice serves as a vehicle to carry us on a voyage of discovery through our layers. I am incredibly blessed in that my favourite meditation guide also happens to be my husband. I have the pleasure of listening to his meditational voice during every workshop and retreat as I work along side him carrying out the energy cleansing work. He attunes to highly benevolent energy as his voice fills the field with life force acting as a bridge between worlds. It’s like sounding a divine note of resonance that unravels and unwinds the mysteries that befall anyone incarnated as a human being.

Value of sitting in silence

There is certainly great value in sitting in a silent undisturbed place, revelling in the stillness whilst allowing inner blockages to naturally dislodge and dissipate. This is, in fact, my preferred method of meditation. Especially, since for me to find an undisturbed place of silence is a something that isn’t typically gifted on a plate during such a busy family life. I do have to make a conscious effort to allow the space for it, but it is well worth it. If I afford myself even just a little time each day for silent meditation I feel incredibly nourished. It seems to rebalance any misaligned energies and re-attune me to the divine flow.

Silent, still meditation is a powerful companion that can complement other forms of meditation.

Conscious movement

I haven’t yet met anyone who doesn’t love moving meditation in one form or another. It is possible that you may be doing moving meditation without even knowing it. It can involve anything from Tai-Chi, yoga, dancing to running. It can be a set practice or a spontaneous flow. Openhand movement meditation (soulmotion) actually incorporates both into the practice, allowing space enough for absolute free soulful expression whilst following a set of movements.

The key in whatever you do is to allow the energy of your experience to move you. Even with ordered movements you can still ensure that your uniqueness animates your expression.

The powerful thing about movement is that it can quickly break down and release stored energy in the system. It is a great way of cleansing, rejuvenating or getting us out of a rut. Daily conscious movement is a powerful way to honour and respect our own human vehicle, keeping the physical in good shape. I see people transformed all the time through conscious movement.

The wonderful thing is that those who struggle with sitting in stillness or listening to guidance will almost always find benefit in movement.

Music and sound

This is an area well worth exploring. Music and sound can be used as a form of meditation that rapidly transcends the intellectual plane. Like the voice, sound is use as a vehicle to carry us through the layers into a transcendental state. I prefer more natural instruments such as the drum, Native American flute, didgeridoo or the angelic sounding soprano voice. There is something that stirs everyone, whether we make music ourselves or lay back and allow the melodic sounds of another to permeate our being. Conscious music can be highly transformative.

Everyday Life

If none of the above resonate, then this is the ‘no-get-out’ clause. This is the one we all can do. Anytime. Anywhere. This is where we are given to allow every moment to become our meditation. It is our opportunity to allow pure presence to resound through our daily lives no matter what we do. So whether we are doing the dishes, brushing our teeth, looking after the children, healing a broken leg… make it a meditation. Look for the ‘ true-you’ in it. Allow your soul to animate your beingness through whatever you do.

I love meditation. All of the above touch my daily life in some way. How about you? What does meditation mean to you? Is there something else not mentioned here that you’d like to share with us? Do you make time each day for meditation of any kind?

About the Author:

Trinity Bourne is one of the founding directors of The Open Hand Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to assisting others in the process of spiritual evolution. 

This article first appeared at The Open Hand Foundation, an excellent source for enlightening ideas and inspiring information.