Keeping Calm in the middle of the Chaos—some meditative tools for the Fourth of July

Setting off fireworks may seem like a strange time to practice meditation, but what better time to be fully present in the moment than when handling gunpowder and an open flame?  The Fourth of July is an excellent time to practice the three key components of most meditative practices:  Concentration, Natural Awareness, and Positive Imagery.

Many people think that meditation is just a process practiced while sitting quietly in the pretzel position.  Thank goodness that we have many more, even better opportunities to practice these time-tested tools.  Let’s take a look at how you might integrate these three techniques into any moment of any day.

First, we begin with concentration.  As you are reading these words, stop for a few moments and be aware of the tiny sensations of breathing in and breathing out.  You can have your eyes open or closed-either way is okay.  Concentrating on your breath for a few moments actually lowers your blood pressure and can help decrease the stress hormones in your body.  To get started, you might even breathe in counting to four, and breathe out counting to six.  A longer outbreath automatically slows down your heartbeat.

It’s normal that random thoughts and feelings, even sounds and sensations, will arise when you practice concentration.  Instead of trying to ignore them or push them away, try incorporating them INTO the meditative experience by imagining each one to be nothing more than a cloud floating by in the sky.  We notice the distraction and then return to the focusing on the breath.  You can practice concentration while you flip the hamburgers on the grill, or while sitting poolside watching the children play. 

Second, we can practice being more aware of our surroundings. Right now, gently gaze straight ahead for a few moments, expanding your peripheral vision.  You can pick an imaginary “spot” about three feet in front of your eyes.  Gently focus on that spot, then expand your awareness to radiate out in all directions. Practice simply being aware and present to whatever arises, moment by moment.  This practice is sometimes called Choiceless Awareness or Neutral Curiosity.  When you are in midst of a party, surrounded by family and friends and noise and conversation and whatever else arises, this practice helps you be more fully present in the midst of it all. 

Third, we can practice cultivating positive emotions.  Whenever families or friends are gathered, a myriad of feelings and situations may arise.  We can use whatever happens as a chance to cultivate a sense of loving-kindness and compassion, both for ourselves and for others.  Neurological research now proves that imagining these positive emotions creates more positive neural networks in our brains, enabling us to more naturally and more often experience them.

My father-in-law LOVED fireworks, and each year he would try to outdo himself with new gadgets and inventions to create even higher arcs for all flying objects.  He lived far enough out of the city that there no laws were broken, but I still consider it a miracle that no appendages or eyes were lost.  Whether his experiments succeeded or failed, he didn’t seem to mind either way.  He was completely in the moment and found great joy in every colorful explosion and loud noise. He recalled great happiness in seeing his grandchildren mesmerized by his tenacity, enthusiasm and pyrotechnical feats.

What better time to try to be present than when a Roman Candle whizzes by your head?  Happy Fourth of July!

Thanks to Organic Spa for posting this article!  Check them out at http://blog.organicspamagazine.com/

Teaching Kids Self-Regulation Through the Practice of Meditation

Here's my latest article in "Macaroni Kids" on teaching kids to meditate:

When I tell parents that we teach meditation to kids as young as five years old, most parents wince with disbelief! It may seem impossible to get young kids to do anything that includes being quiet and sitting still, but we have discovered that kids actually love the practice, when introduced to it in small, bite-size pieces. First, it is helpful to de-mystify meditation. At its most basic, meditation is nothing more than creating a gap between stimulus and response, and research shows that children who can practice impulse control are more likely to be successful later in life. (You can google the now-famous “Stanford University marshmallow experiment”.)

Here is an easy meditation practice that you can try with your children at home. Find a bell or gong, something that has some resonance to it. Before ringing the bell, ask them to raise their hand when they can no longer hear the sound of the bell. This initial practice teaches them concentration.

Then, try the silent walking game—before beginning the walk, encourage the children to look at the world around them and be aware of what colors, sounds and smells they encounter—they can point to something interesting and do pantomime, but without talking. This exercise increases their awareness of what is going on around them.

After a short walk, give them an interesting photo or painting to look at, and ask them to write down (or draw) whatever comes to mind. This process teaches them to be aware of their thoughts and emotions. It’s great to have a discussion with them about what they wrote or the picture they drew. We find that many kids come up with amazing stories and deeply connect with what they see and feel.

Lastly, give them some examples of positive emotions--like smiling, love, happiness, joy, laughter.  Ask them to describe to you what these emotions feel like. “What does it feel like in your body when you laugh?” “How would you describe the feeling of happy?” “When you feel like smiling, what does that feel like in your body?” This process is designed to strengthen their ability to imagine positive emotions in greater detail and to gain confidence that they can create the experience of a positive emotion, even if their external circumstances haven’t changed or when they are having some difficulty.

These simple practices incorporate the three key components of meditation: concentration, natural awareness and positive imagery. If done on a regular basis, we have children who will actually ask their parents to “meditate” with them. It is wonderful bonding and calm time, for both parent and child. You can find out more about meditation at SerenityPause.org. Enjoy!

Janet Nima Taylor is a meditation teacher and author of Meditation for Non-Meditators: Learn to Meditate in Five Minute a Day, available at Amazon.com.


http://national.macaronikid.com/article/716438/teaching-kids-self-regulation-through-the-practice-of-meditation