Meditation for everyone, beginner welcome

Meditation is a mystery to many.  This otherworldly place where mystical happenings occur.  It's so elusive and truly...I can't shut my brain off long enough to ever get there.

These are all the meditation myths.  The excuses and misdirection that we say to ourselves, because to give ourselves time to just "be" seems so utterly selfish.  

In truth, we all experience a meditative state differently.  No two experiences are the same, because no two souls are the same.  For me, mediation is the time when I connect both inward with my true authentic self and outward with the Divine.  It's the place where I bridge this reality and the higher reality.  It sounds complex, but it isn't.  Meditation for me is being in the present moment and just allowing the world to unfold as it is...without my need to control it and without my judgement.

I can recognize this present moment because it happens to me all the time. I know that it also happens to you, but your awareness might not be tuned in.

Have you ever been so caught up in the beauty of nature?

The stillness of the water before your paddle dips breaks the surface?
The sound the leaves make in the summer wind- the rustling sounds of joy?
The crunch of the snow? the call of the cardinal? the moment the sun warms your face?

Have you ever been so lost in music or movement that you lose all sense of time?

The feel of your breath moving through your body during yoga?
That runners high?
Rocking out to your favorite 80's tune?

Have you ever gotten lost in the moment with a loved one?

The hug that quiets your fear and sorrow?
The laugh of your child while they play?
The look in your lover's eye before a kiss?

All meditative moments.  They ground us in the present and allow us to experience life at it's fullest.  The goal then is to prolong these moments and stay connected both to the Divine and ourselves. 

I have a story that shows how being truly present leads to such a profound state of gratitude that we can open ourselves up for miracles.

For my daughter's 16th birthday, we went to see the musical Wicked.  I had amazing 10th row center seats (I'm a bit of a theater snob - I like to see the show, so I'll pay the price). 

I was sitting in the darkened theater with my two girls.  Thrilled that we could have the experience together.  Elphaba was singing Defying Gravity , such a powerful song about being your true self.  She was being raised up on the stage, the music building in crescendo, and the lights shining on her grace and power.

I took a moment and looked at my girls.  It was nearly my undoing.  Their faces were awash with such awe and joy, time stood still while I breathed in such a sense of joy and love.  To this day, I still get teary at the memory.  I was so caught in the moment that I felt God's presence within me. 

But wait, it gets better.  This sense of gratitude and connection stayed with me.  That night as I meditated, I focus on my gratitude, the joy of my daughters, the experience of being together.  Over and over I chanted simply thank you.  An answer came.  Outside my right ear I clearly heard the words "We love you, Kirstin."  My vibration was so strong, I heard my angels!

The point of my story is that we all experience those moments of pure connection.  It is not outside our reach, not unobtainable.  So do what makes you feel connected. Dance, run, laugh, love- be a meditator and share your joy with others.

I'd love to hear your stories about how you meditate or connections that you've made to your angels or guides.  We all learn from each other, so please share this post with anyone who has been a bit put off by the "mystical" practice of meditation, but want to learn more.

Originally Published 05-19-2018