Life in the time of COVID-19 is both a blessing and a curse to meditators. Busy people now have more time to devote to sitting and meditation because of work-from-home arrangements, while those who already have sufficient time have the opportunity to level-up and fine-tune their personal practice.
I have been thinking about my own practice and how to improve and further develop it and a few questions popped up in my mind.
- Is it wise to seek out other meditators and join in a group sitting or do I just add frequency to my solo practice since I can adjust my schedule easily?
- Do I try mantras and mudras or just concentrate on breath?
- Should I incorporate meditation with asanas or compartmentalize?
Honestly, I’ve been planning to incorporate my meditation/prayer/ritual time with asanas or tai chi for a while but have not been able to do it. Call it laziness or waiting for the right time (most probably the former). It’s a struggle.
SOLO VS GROUP SITTING
The obstacles that I face in the midst of practice are real and, maybe you also have to deal with something that hinders your practice, but I believe that it’s different for each. Hence, the approach to solve the problem varies from person to person and, for my personal point of view, chose to approach it solo at this moment in time. Going solo has its advantages such as flexible sitting time and home-practice perks (no need travel, no transportation expense, no gym fees to be paid, home-cooked food, etcetera, etcetera).
On the other hand, we also have commonalities in the way of fundamentals and how to advance. And this is where group, partner, teacher comes into play as a meditation partner can easily point out improvements in posture or might be there to lend a helping hand when an emotional reaction comes up or just to radiate a brighter light to the world. Comparing experiences in practice and talking with other meditators will easily help elevate one’s knowledge because practitioners bring in valuable wisdom and practice.
It is easy to be quiet and contemplative while alone in a room but in a group setting, things can also become difficult; waiting for latecomers, cancellations, different ideas and clash of personalities, etcetera. It may just be as challenging or more so to join a group because of the divergent views each one holds on to.
THE ESSENCE OF MEDITATION
”Anything is possible with inner peace.”
– Master Shifu, from the movie Kung Fu Panda
Everybody wants happiness and bliss. The path to happiness and bliss is the tricky part. Since we have different life goals and a thousand ways to achieve it; ideas clash and teachers may seem to be professing a totally different approach compared to another.
Despite the seemingly different paths, I believe that meditative goals are the same: inner peace, bliss, happiness, Samadhi, nirvana, personal development and healing.
Personally, I feel that I complicate things in my practice because the goals of meditation represent different facets of the same: our true self. If one can connect with the divine and bring out our true self then the goal of meditation has been achieved.
I do miss meditating with a group and basking in the energy of group sitting. And, I really wish that the COVID situation passes and that we will be able to be physically present to sit together in meditation, but living on earth means that we share the same energy. The prana that we breathe is the same in the Philippines as it is in Canada or in America.
Collectively, the world benefits from the meditative energy brought about by each meditation session, whether solo or in a group, however short or long the amount of time spent on it.
TO EACH HIS OWN
”There is no secret ingredient, it’s just you.” - Po, from the movie Kung Fu Panda
Personal circumstances differ greatly for each person. Countless number of ways can be used to practice. Meditators can practice together or solo and meditation time varies. But at its core, the essence of meditation is to connect to the Divine and bring out our true self to shine on the world.
If you want to read more about meditation and my personal practice, please click on the image below. :)
That’s it for now; just a short post on meditative practice. I hope that posting about my own practice somehow brings light to others. I am also a student trying to find my way around and writing about my experiences and questions helps me understand a little more about meditative theory, methods and practice when I compose an article.
Thank you for reading up to here. Blessings and light to everyone!
Mabuhay!
@juanvegetarian
*Thanks to @bearone for the #hiveph badge. Image by Christoph Schütz from Pixabay and
Patrikphotos from Pixabay