Posted on December 14, 2009 - by Jennifer

Meditation Challenge: Day 7

Saturday December 12, 2009: This was another late evening meditation after a long, activity-filled day. But, as I reflected on the meditation the next morning, I realized that it did have a profound effect, just not in the expected way. ¬†I had arrived home late and had to be up early to teach a Yin Yoga workshop. ¬†I was tired and full from a rich meal, shared with a good friend. ¬†Our conversation was enjoyable but intense. ¬†All in all, when I arrived home, I was pretty spent. ¬†Normally, in such a state, I would put on comfy pajamas, sit on my very comfortable couch, and snuggle beneath my warm blanket. ¬†My last waking moments would be spent staring at a television screen, watching something I wasn’t particularly interested in or excited by – just some sounds and colors to fill the silence, a distraction to help me shift from being out at a restaurant, engaged with the people around me, to alone at home. ¬†But, instead, I knew that I had to make time to meditate. ¬†So, I could not turn on the television and settle into the couch and let my eyes (and brain) glaze over. ¬†Instead, I wrapped myself in my meditation shawl and sat and went through the process of moving through the chakras. ¬†So, my last act of the day was to very consciously perform a task that requires engagement and focus rather than ending my day with a weary body and a disengaged mind and the sounds of “it’s not just TV, it’s Direct TV” ringing in my ears. ¬†Did I accomplish profound things with this particular meditation? ¬†No. But, I did alter a pattern of behavior.