Simple does Not always mean Easy

It has been a long while since someone has asked me about my meditation practice. This morning as I was working with a client, she asked what my practice looks like. I tilted the camera so she could see my cushion set up. Because the question caught me off guard, I began stuttering a bit figuring out how to explain my practice; I shared the basics which include sitting most days of the week anywhere from 20-60 minutes, eyes open and focusing on my breath. There have been a myriad of reactions from those who inquire. When I engage in conversation with those who do not have a meditation practice themselves, I often hear, “I could never sit that long with a clear mind.” My response is typically something to the effect of, “Neither can I.”

As I was out for an evening walk and captured this image, it made me think about my meditation practice. There is a metaphor which describes our mind like a blue sky that is sometimes obscured by the clouds of our thoughts, feelings and experiences. The blue sky is always there and mediation offers an opportunity to nurture an awareness to work with the storylines for what they are, passing cloud cover.

Simple doe not always mean easy.

I have been meditating on a consistent basis for the better part of ten years. No two days ever feel the same. There are many variables that play a role in each meditation practice such as quality of sleep, what time of day I sit, recent movement such as walking or stretching prior to my sitting practice, recent lived experiences and so much more. My practice consists of sitting on a cushion, eyes open so I am awake to the world, and paying attention to my breath. It seems simple, yet those clouds of thoughts, feelings and experiences find their way in. For me, meditation is the act of noticing the clouds and then bringing my attention back to the breath. Whether I return once or a thousand times does not matter.

With only three weeks of grad school remaining, the sense of burnout has been coming to surface. I have several tools to help manage this burnout and going for daily walks and sitting meditation have helped a great deal.

One thing I have come to learn is that meditation can’t fix anything but it can help almost everything.