If I don’t like doing something, and I have a choice about it, chances are, I just won’t do it.
I’m coming out of my I-must-do-it-this-boring-way-because-this-is-the-proper-way-to-progress phase in my dance practice (when I am not enthusing about mermaids I am a professional belly dancer) after seeing the light of Sense and Reason, and that light is entitled Making Something You Love Dull Is Not Smart.
Further to that, I’m expanding that into my spiritual life as well.
I’m pants at blank-mind meditation – I can’t get my mind to shut up, and after an allotted 10 mins, I realise I’ve spent the whole time thinking about Batman or what my bathroom will look like when I grow up or trying to remember where I put that tenner. And being pants at it means, surprise, I won’t do it.
So what are my options?
Number 1 – Guided Meditations. On mp3 format or in full brain-only guided glory. I do feel a bit like I am daydreaming for 20 minutes and counting that as my spiritual done-time, but so what? That’s not a bad deal.
Number 2 – Prayer and Listening. I’m a big fan of praying, getting into the goddess zone and then opening my mind to listen to what She has to say, even if my minds only open and wallowing in blissful Goddess-ness for a minute or so. Way more effective than a ten minute Batman-bathroom-tenner reverie.
Number 3 – Walking Meditation. To stay sane, I need to get outside every day – if I don’t remember that, well, the effects will 
be felt my friend. I love going for walks and just being – watching the sky, seeing the tiny flowers on the bushes (in December! Crazy!) and hearing the wind moving through the trees. If I get out of my brain for a minute (which I also forget to do sometimes) and into experiencing the world around me, wallowing in the awesomeness of Mother Nature is the best meditation technique ever.
As ever, the most effective way to get stuff done is to make it fun, and that totally applies to spirituality as well. In my brain spirituality is meant to be lived, and the best way to get something done is to enjoy the whole process.
That “brain on mute” meditation is not for everyone, and I totally don’t see why it should be more worthy than any other kind of reconnection. For that is what it all comes to in the end.
Maybe because hard stuff is always seen as the most important stuff. It’ hard, therefore it must be the best?
“spirituality is meant to be lived” I totally agree and I find that since I’m in a constant state of flux my practises vary and adapt to what works for me best at the time 🙂 I like all 3 options you mentioned above!
😀
I agree wholeheartedly. Doing what works is what gets done!
Woohoo! If it doesn’t get done, then it doesn’t work!
Making Something You Love Dull Is Not Smart. <— thank you for this, I needed to hear it! Awesome post.
Thank you!
Make everything fun! (Now why am I not surprised at that from someone called “Faeriedaughter”? 😉 )
I don’t exactly enjoy silent meditation, and I’m not terribly regular in my doing of it, but I have found it a really, really important practice to engage with. The part of me that doesn’t want to do it is, fundamentally, the part of me that’s afraid of finding peace. It’s also not appropriate for all seasons of spiritual life, though, and all of the kinds of meditation you list above are great, too.
(BTW, there’s no way to ‘fail’ at silent meditation, IMNSHO. I have a whole pocket guidebook on silent meditation, which people get when they sign up to my email list, but if you (or anyone else!) would be interested in a copy, I’m happy to email the PDF out.)
“Make everything fun! (Now why am I not surprised at that from someone called “Faeriedaughter”? 😉 )”
Woman, you’d be surprised how long it’s taken for me to realise that actually wanting to get stuff done and getting stuff done is better than putting off doing something “the right way”! It’s so crazy evident in my dance practice, I can barely describe the past few months of pushing my zombie bored brain through hours of dance practice, dreading it and not enjoying it. And I love dance!
I’m gonna go sign up to your e-mail list! Tell me your wisdom!
Yey! The sign up form is on the right hand side of my webpage. Let me know if you have any difficulties 🙂