I really like David Michie’s writing. I think I have all his books on meditation AND his fiction books about The Cat. Disclaimer: I don’t have a particular fondness for cats.
Whether you are into meditation or not – I think his latest blog post should resonate with everyone. Here’s the link. The topic? Finding it hard to let go of past hurts? A mindful perspective.
Here is the first paragraph just to entice you….”Every one of us will experience hurt, betrayal and disappointment. What matters is how we deal with these feelings. As the Dalai Lama says, ‘Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional.’ What he means is that although it’s impossible to avoid upsetting experiences, we do have a say about whether negative events or people continue to affect us.”
I’ve been practicing ‘letting go’ for quite awhile now. And, I’m getting better at it. The freedom that I feel from letting go, especially of PEOPLE STUFF, is amazing. It takes conscious effort to not get caught up in thoughts and issues that can run me into circles – but it is certainly worth it.
I do seated silent mindfulness meditation most days for about 30 minutes. I didn’t start with 30 minutes though. I started with 5 minutes and it was TORTURE. But, each day or two, I added a minute and before I knew it – 30 minutes. It’s one of my most favourite times of the day.
I also do Yoga Nidra, which is a guided meditation, most days. I started doing Yoga Nidra about 5 years ago after learning it in a yoga class (thanks Diane!). It’s conscious relaxation of body parts. Another name for it is ‘Yogic Sleep’. There has been great success using it with veterans (and others) with PTSD.
Meditation keeps me grounded. Keeps me sane. Keeps me from lashing out at people. Keeps me from smacking people over the head.
I think I’ll keep meditating.
Sounds like meditation really works for you! Thanks for the recommendation 🙂
Thanks for sharing David Michie’s blog bookmarked for later reading perfect timing Kris thx