Cultivate a regular meditation practice

so i can actually have a place to meditate…

I don’t know. It’s hard sometimes to make myself meditate, because forcing it seems to defeat the purpose. I only know that I feel more centered and happy when I do it. I am reading a new book that may help me with this (if I let it). Perhaps I should just concentrate my efforts on becoming more present and aware.

I previously had the goal of learning to meditate. I believe that I know “how to meditate” now. It becomes a matter of pursuing and practicing it. I feel better when I allow myself a few minutes of peace and quiet – just to be.

I just did a metta meditation. It was great. I feel relaxed and full of peace. I want to somehow hang onto that feeling and learn to summon it at will when things get stressful in my life. http://www.beliefnet.com/story/32/story_3248_1.html#

out from the library yesterday.

My yoga teacher last fall had our class do a walking meditation. We had to try to concentrate on being in the moment while we walked around. We had to try to tune out distractions and bring ourselves back. I found it hard to do, because I kept thinking of other things and then trying to get rid of those thoughts. It all felt so intentional and contrived.

Another one she had us try was a sitting meditation outside. I can’t remember the whole deal on that one, but it was along the lines of finding a focal point somewhere and really looking at it and how the view changed throughout the allotted time.

I would like to spend time alone in nature and see if I could find some inner calm this way.