Day 5
We all come to meditation practice seeking … something.
And while there are no guarantees from a regular meditation practice, there are certainly unexpected gifts we might receive.
Or as Pema calls them: the “qualities we cultivate” through regular and consistent practice.
May you find a glimmer of each of these gifts today by simply pausing. To sit, still and attentive, to this breath that you are already breathing.
Curiosity — an openness, a willingness to see what might happen if we stay at our edge instead of shutting down, distracting, escaping, all the things we normally do out of habit, reaction, stress. Meditation offers us the gift of curiosity: what might happen if I simply stay with myself instead?
Courage — the delight when curiosity begins to kindle into courage. When we learn to stay, when we choose to stay — again and again and again — our capacity for ourselves, and for each other, begins to grow. Our fuse lengthens just enough to make a different choice some of the time. And when we lose our way, we have the courage to make our way back. To ourselves, to each other. Yes, courage. (Fellow lovers of words, the French root of courage is “cœur” or heart. I love to think of meditation as knowing ourselves, by heart. Yes, definitely courage.)
Clear Seeing — When we are curious enough to stay and courageous enough to look, we begin to notice a lot about ourselves we miss when we’re rushing through our lives. From the good — simple everyday things and people to be grateful for on even our toughest days. To the parts of ourselves we might want to shift — our limiting story lines, habits, stress reactions. Before we can change, we must be able to see. Thank you for the gift of clear-seeing.
Compassion, Grace, & Inner Knowing — If we can hang out with this curiosity, this courageousness, this clear-seeing long enough, we get a chance of maybe, maybe getting out of our own way (which Pema calls G R A C E). Of touching in with that throbbing tenderness, perhaps. Which can nurture compassion — toward ourselves, toward others. Grace and Compassion allow us the gift of beginning to notice our own inner voice. We’re sitting still quietly & long enough to listen. Not to the never-ending distractions and chatter around us. But to our own inner wisdom. And couldn’t we all use a touch of that grace today?
NO. BIG. DEAL. — This is perhaps my favorite and most welcome gift of this practice. A sense of levity, a sense of humor. Pema says something like this: “You’re sitting on your death bed and the nurse is SO annoying. She’s chewing gum or gossiping loudly and you’re going to lose your mind. You can’t help it until … oh, right, no. big. deal.” On any given day, I can use that reminder: No. Big. Deal.
Yes, gifts, to be sure.
DAY 5: EARLY MORNING MEDITATION (5 Minutes of Grace)
LEAVE A COMMENT BELOW.
I’d love to know, which of the 5 gifts resonates the most?
To the gift of your presence today — and sending so much love your way,
Cath
p.s. How’s it going so far in 40 Early Mornings? Like, really, how are you? Book 30 minutes on my calendar this week, if you’d like to check in and get some extra support. I can’t wait to connect with you!