The material presented
here is not Al-Anon Conference Approved Literature. It is a method
to exchange
information, ideas, feelings, problems and solutions on a personal
level.
I admit I am brand new to the practice of meditation. I just wanted to share a little of my experience as I am sure there are plenty others out there who are curious about meditation. The gift that I have found immediately in meditating is that it has helped me profoundly in relaxing and calming myself. I was very frustrated when I came home last night, so I meditated for 15 minutes and I felt better. Remember I said better, and not perfect :o) The other really important thing it has begun to help me do is to let go of some really old nasty stuff I have been carrying around. When I first experienced this negative memories I asked a friend of mine that meditates what I should do when they surface. Very kindly, this friend said to me "Choose another thought." At first I thought it a bit absurd that I could selectively switch my brain to think about something else. So the next time I went to meditate I started seeing these memories again, so.... I took a few deep breaths and spoke inside myself and said "I am not afraid and I can let you go now." It wasn't like bells and whistles or an instant result, for me it was a fading of the emotion that was tied to those specific memories. The next time I meditated one memory in particular started to come into focus and I just repeated what I had said to myself the time before, and then I smiled because I knew that it was working. I don't know if this is an experience like anyone else has had. I would love to hear how others are fairing with meditation. It is of great curiosity to me right now and I know it is of great benefit as well. So please, please share your thoughts and experiences!
Wow when i meditate i just think of all my wonderful blessing that HP has given to me!! When i am in the middle of a whirlwind and I want to blame everything on everybody i stop and remind myself to keep the focus on me!!! Later i then take a few min to meditate and think about what happen and what i really need to work on and let go and give it to Hp( in my mind I imagain) a Hot air balloon cut the rope and let it fly away and I am much more seren then!!
Oh I love that!!!! "I am not afraid and I can let you go now". Thank you for that!
I know one of the things I have done to try to tune out all of those unwanted thoughts when I am trying to still my mind, is to focus on the image of one thing....if possible, literally! The first time I did this successfully, I was in church and was staring at the the image of Jesus for a while. When I closed my eyes, the afterimage was still there....and i just sorta focused my mind on that image and thought about my HP's love of me. A warm feeling came over me and I felt as if I was floating. It was wonderful and powerful.
I still do that....when i can catch a quiet moment....just sit and stare at a tree or a cloud...whatever...and just sort of drift and try to remember that warm feeling again. Works pretty well at keeping unwanted memories or thoughts from invading.
But I love your little mantra! Almost feels like I want to invite the unpleasant stuff over just to say "you have lost your power over me...so you can come by if you want to..but I no longer fear you! So stay or go..but I got better things to think about than you!"
Thank you for that!