"For some, prayer is asking for God's help; meditation is listening for Gods answer.... Quieting the mind through meditation brings an inner peace that brings us into contact with the God within us."
Basic Text, pp. 46-47
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"Be patient when youre learning to meditate," many of us were told. "It takes practice to know what to listen for."
We're glad someone told us that, or many of us would have quit after a week or two of meditating. For the first few weeks, we may have sat each morning, stilled our thoughts, and listened, just as the Basic Text said--but heard nothing. It may have taken a few more weeks before anything really happened. Even then, what happened was often barely noticeable. We were rising from our morning meditations feeling just a little better about our lives, a little more empathy for those we encountered during the day, and a little more in touch with our Higher Power.
For most of us, there was nothing dramatic in that awareness--no bolts of lightning or claps of thunder. Instead, it was something quietly powerful. We were taking time to get our egos and our ideas out of the way. In that clear space, we were improving our conscious contact with the source of our daily recovery, the God of our understanding. Meditation was new, and it took time and practice. But, like all the steps, it worked--when we worked it.
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Just for today: I will practice listening for knowledge of God's will for me, even if I don't know what to listen for yet.
. ....a timely reading!...me's just heading off again, back to the meditation retreat centre in NY state,,,but for 2 1/2 months(!!) this time. I'm reminded of the one 'promise' my sponsor made...in doing the steps,, you'll find a --new way to live--. Like any good addict, I'm taking the clues from the program and various pain management clinics, and going to take a full dive in to this.. The theme of the previous 3 week retreat I did earlier was ..'letting go of the shadow of past regrets',,, since I've been back home, I do see how some things have shifted in that regard indeed!
. There's much trepidation in this last week before I depart today. I see myself letting go of a lot of old, small, tired, self. There's definitely fear and stress as 'old ways' have been calling loudly,, but I've made it through the valley,, and soon back on 'the mountain'! . I used to mock such spiritual retreats as being 'selfish', as escape from the 'real' world, whatever -that- is,, but having done some time now, I see great value in stepping back from our challenges into a protective setting and going deeper into self,, higher self, the part of me that's always been there, often forgotten....a new sort of selfish indeed! Diving in like this is not unlike going to a treatment centre in many ways,, just a 'next level'.
..today's reading reminds me of a prayer that's often used with sufi's...
.......'open my heart, that I may hear thy voice, which -constantly- comes from within.
. ...blessed be!
-- Edited by mikah on Saturday 20th of June 2015 11:15:49 AM
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...gawd,,,please don't let me -ever- forget why I came here in the first place!!(my 'senility' prayer)
