Practice, and Simply Enjoy!
There is no substitute for practicing meditation. You know that now. You know something is off balance in your life when you miss a session, whether it happens deliberately, or accidentally. The thing is – it really doesn’t matter if you are lazy or if a conflict interrupted your daily routine – it will affect you either way. And over time, it will become more noticeable when you skip out on it.
That is why it’s important to remember the second rule:
“Don’t judge your practice.”
That’s right! Don’t judge it – just practice and enjoy!
I know that sounds very hard to do. After all, we all have hard earned graduate degrees in being judgmental. Do we not?
We spend our whole lives judging ourselves – how we look and act – what we do or say. And if that’s not bad enough, we are constantly judging others as well.
A couple of nights ago, I was watching the local news and one of the anchors had a belt on that looked like a bow on a gift-wrapped present. Immediately, my husband and I commented on it, and let me just say – not in a positive way.
I immediately caught myself and thought to myself - I should’ve known better.
I quickly noted internally, the reality that women are often the worst judges of each other and in this instant, I was being stereotypical. Then I forgot about the whole incident.
The next morning, my husband who is a night owl, told me that the anchor had removed the belt by the late evening newscast. He surmised that perhaps there had been some blowback between the two airings of the news.
I reflected on how sad and even embarrassing this was on so many levels, regretting that I had been judgmental on this occasion of a simple choice of an accessory. But here’s the thing – we judge ALL the time – and most of the time we are unconscious of it.
So let go of judging yourself, others, and most certainly your own practice. It is not good or bad, it just simply is…
It is a vehicle for transformation and change and deep healing.
So, just practice and enjoy!
How freeing is that?
Over time, the practice becomes enjoyable, and you inhabit incredible landscapes of bliss, gratitude, and happiness you never knew existed. And then, they start to become the norm and not the exception. But there is no shortcut to experiencing such joy. Believe me, I’ve tried it! You simply must put in the time and practice to experience joy in everything you do, say, and encounter. There are no shortcuts. There never are. I know it sounds like it is too good to be true But it’s not.
Just practice and enjoy every minute and every moment!
Reflection/Journal Questions:
What aspects within yourself do you often judge? What would your life be like without those judgments?
What do you judge in others and why? And how does it make you feel?
NEXT
There is no substitute for practicing meditation. You know that now. You know something is off balance in your life when you miss a session, whether it happens deliberately, or accidentally. The thing is – it really doesn’t matter if you are lazy or if a conflict interrupted your daily routine – it will affect you either way. And over time, it will become more noticeable when you skip out on it.
That is why it’s important to remember the second rule:
“Don’t judge your practice.”
That’s right! Don’t judge it – just practice and enjoy!
I know that sounds very hard to do. After all, we all have hard earned graduate degrees in being judgmental. Do we not?
We spend our whole lives judging ourselves – how we look and act – what we do or say. And if that’s not bad enough, we are constantly judging others as well.
A couple of nights ago, I was watching the local news and one of the anchors had a belt on that looked like a bow on a gift-wrapped present. Immediately, my husband and I commented on it, and let me just say – not in a positive way.
I immediately caught myself and thought to myself - I should’ve known better.
I quickly noted internally, the reality that women are often the worst judges of each other and in this instant, I was being stereotypical. Then I forgot about the whole incident.
The next morning, my husband who is a night owl, told me that the anchor had removed the belt by the late evening newscast. He surmised that perhaps there had been some blowback between the two airings of the news.
I reflected on how sad and even embarrassing this was on so many levels, regretting that I had been judgmental on this occasion of a simple choice of an accessory. But here’s the thing – we judge ALL the time – and most of the time we are unconscious of it.
So let go of judging yourself, others, and most certainly your own practice. It is not good or bad, it just simply is…
It is a vehicle for transformation and change and deep healing.
So, just practice and enjoy!
How freeing is that?
Over time, the practice becomes enjoyable, and you inhabit incredible landscapes of bliss, gratitude, and happiness you never knew existed. And then, they start to become the norm and not the exception. But there is no shortcut to experiencing such joy. Believe me, I’ve tried it! You simply must put in the time and practice to experience joy in everything you do, say, and encounter. There are no shortcuts. There never are. I know it sounds like it is too good to be true But it’s not.
Just practice and enjoy every minute and every moment!
Reflection/Journal Questions:
What aspects within yourself do you often judge? What would your life be like without those judgments?
What do you judge in others and why? And how does it make you feel?
NEXT