Meditation check-in?

[Carla]

Would anyone be interested in having a meditation check-in? Just a place to log in each day and share a bit of our meditation practice. As little or as much as you like. Could be as simple as: 'Mon 2nd Jul, sitting meditation with candle and gong CD. 25 minutes.'

Anyone interested? I would like to improve my discipline in sitting meditation, so that's why I thought it might be nice to have a check-in.

 

[Carla]

Okay, here's my check-in for today.

2nd July Monday 7.30-7.55 am

Candle, altar blessed with incense then snubbed out. One mala 'om shanti om' chanted quickly. Ring bell. Then long, deep breathing; each exhale is 'ooooooooooooooooooooooooohm shantiiiii'. Inhale and go again, 'Ooooooooooooooooooooooohm shantiiii.' Each repetition of 'om shanti' is accompanied by visualisation in this order: sunrise, broad day/noon, sunset, night with stars, waxing moon, full moon, waning moon, earth beneath me. When visualising earth beneath me the first time, sending out tendrils into the earth from the root chakra. On the inhale, drawing energy up, and opening all chakras to receive energy from above as well.

Repeat sequence of visualisations, while drawing energy from earth, moon and sun. Build energy in heart chakra (and solar plexis chakra, or any or all chakras, I suppose, but I like to shoot energy out from the heart chakra--like Iron Man ha ha) until it begins to glow outward, becoming a golden orb that envelopes me. When that feeling and image is sustained, sit in silence and experience it. 'I am a creative force that radiates benefit to all beings.'

I then do a short personal protection ritual for the day. (I do this every single day before I leave the flat).

Meditation timer used. 25 minutes. This is my personal morning tradition for sitting meditation. I have been doing this daily for the last several days.

 

[Milfoil]

3rd July - Sat out on the deck, it is wet but the wind has died down to nothing. Just sat . . .

 

[Mi-Shell]

Carla, what a wonderful idea for a supportive thread
I meditate most every day - qualify that - in the busy summer month on the days when we do not have to be on shows and markets at all hours of the "tooooo early for me" morning....
But coming to AT and writing about it = turning the pooooter on Early, sitting down and writing....That would eat up the time I have for actually meditating....
So sorry to say... that is a daily time commitment i can not afford to make and in the end would not keep.....
Good luck and blessings to all participants!

 

[PAMUYA]

I love this idea, thank you for thinking of it.

Meditated this morning approx. 30 minutes: my focus was on letting myself just be with uncomfortable emotions and just sit with them. (normally I turn to food, the computer or TV, or even exercise to escape them). Today I want to study these emotions that stur just under the surface and use them to learn about myself. Will do this again in my evening meditation.

 

[Flaxen]

Meditated this evening for 20 mins, focussed on a mantra to limit distracting thoughts. I chose to use part of the prayer of St Francis. I then followed this with a prayer to my ancestors acknowledging what they have brought me and asking for their blessing and guidance.

 

[Carla]

This morning I did my Om shanti set for 20 minutes. Then today after work, a 30 minutes of kundalini yoga followed by 22 minutes chanting the Ram Das mantra. The yoga is done to Maya Fiennes DVDs. I love her teaching. Here is a sample clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqHDDAo_9PU

 

[PAMUYA]

Did my afternoon 30 minute meditation, I don't do mantras or yoga(I go to yogo class, really don't consider that meditation, but maybe I should ), I more or less do a "Zen" type meditation in silence(in lotus posture), watching my thoughts, feelings...come and go. I do mantras in temple practice, but that is done mainly to promote world peace..ect, perhaps I should try mantras during personal meditation too... already learning new things! Thank you again for starting this thread.

 

[Carla]

I was feeling quite burdened this morning, and so I did 15 minutes of chanting 'Om vajrasattva hum'. I felt much better at once. Vajrasattva, the 'diamond being', is said to purify and protect. I visualised a glowy silver orb hovering over my head, beaming down into my head a cleansing lazer that suffused me and caused the bad stuff to be pushed out of me, where it dissipated and floated down to be reabsorbed into the earth, where I guess it can be recycled.

Anyway, I felt better very quickly.

 

[Est]

'Om vajrasattva hum'.

This is a great idea for a thread, Carla I've started meditating on an evening several times a week and will try to remember to check in here.

Please could you tell me how to pronounce this mantra? I'm not sure if it's pronounced as it's written...

Thanks