Posted on 10 Nov, 2011 -
Going Through The Great Big Pepper Mill of Life?
A simple meditation that can release you from the grip of a hectic life or mind and reconnect you with harmony and peace…
Depressed? Stressed? Angry? Going through a difficulty in life or with a relationship?
Then try the brilliant free website where you can carry out Byron Katie’s ‘The Work’
Dear Reader,
On three different occasions this week I have been told the story of a number of people who “have been going through the mill”.
Now, while these people certainly had my sympathy, the playful side of my brain couldn’t help but conjure the image of these unfortunate people being fed into a huge grinder in the style of a Simpson’s cartoon.
Life these days can be so hectic, in fact, that I then started seeing my own life in a very similar cartoon in which my brain is being put through a liquidiser while my blindfolded body is put through a washing machine cycle before being reconnected to my head.
“Hmm!” I thought. This can’t be good. Antidote needed fast!
“What you need on occasions like this.” said another mad cartoon character wearing a white coat and stethoscope.... “Is the So Hum meditation.”
And that doctor, despite being just a figment of my imagination, was absolutely right…
Back to reality!
The ‘So Hum’ meditation or So Hum breathing is so easy to do that anyone can do it. It is particularly useful if you’ve been feeling a bit hectic of late or if you can’t switch off. It is good for grounding you and helping you to feel more in harmony with and connected to the world around you.
‘So Hum’ translates as ‘I am that’, that being the whole of creation, the divine. This meditation therefore gives you the opportunity to connect more with your essential, deeper self and to release all the daily obsessions with the smaller goings on of the ego.
Here’s how to do it
All you need to start is a comfortable place to sit and at least ten minutes of peace to yourself.
Start by sitting in a comfortable position with your back straight, head slightly tilted downwards. If you have your hands on your lap, face them upwards to open up your mind or downwards to calm it down.
Next simply focus your attention on the gentle rhythm of your breathing and release any tension you find in the muscles of your body.
Once you have settled into the rhythm, start saying to yourself the word ‘So’ as you breathe in, then ‘hum’ as you breathe out. Say them silently in your head, not out loud.
Think of the millions of other people in the world who are breathing just like you. Think about all the energy of the universe that you are breathing in. Feel a release of your daily concerns as you breathe out all the negativity. Then a connection with the universal energy as you breathe in new, pure breath.
Continue for 10 to 30 minutes then bring your hands together at the end to finish the session.
What exactly is this ‘Work’ and how can you use it in your own life?
The second thing I wanted to tell you about today is a free website created by Byron Katie that provides you with access to free resources allowing you to fill in forms and carry out what she calls ‘The Work’.
I came across Byron Katie a couple of years ago and love her book, ‘Loving What is - Four Questions That Can Change Your Life’.
The reason why so many people suffer, Byron Katie believes, is because we are often under the spell of erroneous thoughts that we strongly believe but yet are killing our happiness.
These beliefs often start with ‘I want’, ‘I need’ or ‘I’ll never’ - or contain ideas about what other people or life itself should or shouldn’t do to or around us.
A bit like having a very special kind of therapy!
The free resources on her website will explain how you can examine the deep-seated beliefs that you have by filling in a few simple forms. In the Judge Your Neighbor Worksheet, for example, you are given the opportunity to explore your attitude towards a specific person in your life by answering questions such as ‘Who angers or saddens or disappoints you? What is it about them that you didn’t or still don’t like?.... How do you want them to change? What do you want them to do?
You are then taken through the process of The Work and shown how to apply the Four Questions to start looking into and challenging the beliefs you will have written down.
As I say, this website is absolutely free and you can find it here: www.thework.com
Take care for the rest of the week.
