Practice yoga or meditate at least once a day

“The Mirror”

Between the woods the afternoon
Is fallen in a golden swoon,
The sun looks down from quiet skies
To where a quiet water lies,
And silent trees stoop down to trees.

And there I saw a white swan make
Another white swan in the lake;
And, breast to breast, both motionless,
They waited for the wind’s caress…
And all the water was at ease.

-From When We Were Very Young by A. A. Milne

I meditate every night before I go to bed, but it’s often more of a relaxation method than a stillness/awareness exercise. I shall work on that.

I finally managed to sit and be still for an hour for the first time ever. Clearing my mind was not exactly accomplished, but I was able to sit in silence with my eyes closed and focus on my breathing for the better portion of my hour. Yay!

If you’ve got half an hour on your hands, I highly recommend watching this…

Unfortunately, I can’t get the link to work, but search “Buddha Dharma – Practice of Meditation by Ven. Ajahn Brahmawamso” on Google video and be seriously inspired to meditate more often.

I’m planning on visiting some Buddhist temples in the area, and most recommend that you practice meditating at home before participating in group meditation. Therefore, this goal is now more important to me than ever.

Problem:

I don’t like to be still. I like to be busy. Perhaps this is why this is a goal…to stretch myself, become a more balanced person and whatnot, but I like to be busy and occupied.
BAH.

Well, the closest I’ve come to this goal is a daily one-page entry in a gratitude journal. Not a shabby accomplishment, but I really do need to try and just be still and silent for an hour a day. I think that would do wonders to balance the noise of day-to-day life!