The two brown bears that lumbered past our cabin at Lake Tahoe, California, were larger than I’d ever imagined a bear to be. It was twilight, and a steady rain was falling. Jyotish quietly but emphatically said, “Look,” as he pointed out the window: There they were, walking slowly by, not more than fifty feet away. Then, before the bears got out of sight, one of them stopped and shook the rain from his fur like a huge dog. It was thrilling to see them.
We’d come to Tahoe for some relaxation, and were enjoying the stillness and peace of the beautiful lake and woods. The bears were an added treat (although we were grateful that they didn’t see us that way).
It’s helpful to take breaks from time to time to renew and refresh ourselves. Amidst the demands of daily life, it’s too easy to lose inspiration for meditation, and let our practice become mechanical.
“Rust Never Sleeps” is the title of a song that was popular some years ago. It’s a great image to convey the potential erosion of our inspiration and joy by the downward pull of demands and problems around us.
Here are four ways that may help you to keep your meditation practice inspired:
Take time out from your daily schedule to focus on your sadhana. Give yourself the freedom to relax and enjoy your meditation without any time constraints. Maybe you’ll meditate longer, or maybe shorter, but enjoy the freedom of creating your own space to rest in God.
See the techniques of meditation as helpful tools, not as the final experience you’re seeking. An artist uses his paints to capture an image, but the pigments alone don’t create a painting. It’s the personal consciousness of the artist that brings a painting to life. In the same way, try to see your meditation techniques as a medium to explore your own higher consciousness—it’s up to us to give the techniques vitality and life by imbuing them with our own energy.
Feel from the start of your meditation that you’re actually a part of a greater reality, that your own higher consciousness is already one with God. Swami Kriyananda expressed this so beautifully: “The secret of meditation is to pray with deep faith—not as an outsider to heaven, but as one whose true, eternal home is heaven.” Our “true, eternal home” can be as close as a thought away, if we stop thinking that we are strangers to it, or that it is far away.
Replace the burden of “I should” meditate with the freedom of “I choose” to meditate. Try to bring a sense of relaxation and joy to your sadhana. Remember that, though regular meditation requires discipline, it is you who have chosen this practice, in order to enhance your life. Rust may never sleep, but the search for inner joy is a part of our own nature that calls to us eternally.
Your friend in God,
Nayaswami Devi
21 Comments
Devi,
Thank you for these suggestions. are wonderful. Attitude is everything, isn’t it?
Paty
Pranam Ji
Thanks for sharing , your inputs of Thoughts Inspire us as Always.
With Gratitude
R Sundararajan
What a great joy to AWAKE to this inspiration! With every breath and step may we be READY to realize Divine Mother’s Grace!
Thank you Devi! I love to read your blog every week as it always seems to bring just the words I need to hear at just the right time. This weeks message feels especially timely as I’ve been noticing a bit of “rustiness” in my meditation and unsure how to break free of that. Thank you for this reassurance and guidance. Jai Guru! Many blessings to you and Jyotish <3
How I look forward to your gentle guidance in my email box.
Compassionate attitudes help bring ease to my journey.
Wonderful timing, and great to wake up to a chuckle–I love the line about being glad thst the bears didn’t see you as an added treat! These 4 simple reminders will be very helpful to me in the next month while I am traveling in New England, before arriving at Ananda Assisi. Traveling alone can be challenging to my practices so remembering why I CHOOSE to meditate is a nice idea (it is not a should–it is essential!) And keeping in mind that my own higher consciousness is already a part of God is helpful when traveling, too–feeling that God is acting through me in all situations Thank you for your inspiration. I look forward to these beautiful weekly missives, especially when traveling!
Thank you so much for all your beautiful reminders. I find myself at this time needing my contact with God and Master more and more as the aging process increases. I am and have been so grateful for the life I have at Ananda. And grateful for Swami, you and Joytish. Also all of us at Ananda Sacramento are blessed to have Nirmala and Darmadas. Apparently my computer does not like the way your names are spelled.
Many Blessings, Yvonne
Thank you for this, Devi. It was reassuring in a special way because it connected me to Swamiji’s instruments, you and Jyotish.
Devi quoting Neil Young – my life is now complete!
Thanks, Devi, to you AND the bears!
Thank you for sharing your inspirational messages!
Thank you for your thoughts I am on the road for three months right now . Theses thoughts of how to keep it meditation going while on the road really help me keep it going. God Bless you Preeti
SADHANA IS MY LIFE, EVERY BREATH I TAKE……..EVERY THOUGHT I HAVE………..I THINK OF HEAVENLY FATHER AND MASTER. THANK YOU FOR SO BEAUTIFULLY REMINDING US.
Thank you, dear soul, for your timely and needed reminder. I am grateful. In Divine Friendship, steve
Dear Nayaswami Devi Ji,
Thank you for sharing this blog :)
This was very timely. “It’s helpful to take breaks from time to time to renew and refresh ourselves. Amidst the demands of daily life, it’s too easy to lose inspiration for meditation, and let our practice become mechanical.”
Also the tips that you have suggested will help immensely in our Sadhana practice . “Replace the burden of “I should” meditate with the freedom of “I choose” to meditate” . How profound and simple you have said this . Its very encouraging :)
In Master’s Love
Prem
I LOVE THIS POST–YES, FOR ITS INSPIRATION–AND MORE FOR THE DEEP SENSE OF PEACE AND THE ARTFUL EXPRESSION IT CARRIES. THANK YOU, DEVI, FOR TAKEN THE TIME TO WRITE FROM AN INSPIRED PLACE AND FOR HOLDING TO THE PATH TO GET TO BEING ABLE TO WRITE FROM INSPIRATION.
Thank you Devi. This is beautiful and so helpful. <3
We may meditate, The Divine invites us to connect, anytime, until our final merging. A blessing.
Thank you, dear Devi.
Francis
Nayaswami Devi,
Thank you for inspiring messages.usha
Nayaswami Devi,
Thanks for sharing inspiring and helpful messages.Usha
Thank you Devi for the reminder that this is a choice I made and get to make as often as I remember. Wonderful article.
God bless you. Celeste