A Life You Can Walk Through

Introduction by Robert Frost, Road Not Taken

If you take a moment to consider it, there may be some benefits to walking. You may find that it is an investment that pays off in your whole being. In his poem, The Road Not Taken, Robert Frost says: "Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference". He begins this poem wondering about how to choose the path to take. In the journey of life, what dictates the roads that we will follow? How do we choose when we come upon one of the many junctions that we face? Do we choose our path because the rest of the herd goes there?  Does that suit our truths and individual needs? We should also think about how we will travel it. We have to understand what will bring us the most benefit. Will we walk, drive, or fly? Why do we choose to do it that way?

Great benefits of walking

For me I have chosen the path that dictates a simple life. I have a literal road that I walk. Actually, I walk almost every where that I go. This has introduced me to the benefits of walking. For me the decision to use my feet as a primary mode of transportation has made, “all the difference”. It helps me to take things as they come. Literally and figuratively one step at a time. Not only do I experience more of what goes on around me, I have found tranquility. I am dedicated to this simple act. It has brought me great peace and has changed my point of view about the world.

Here are 5 great benefits of walking

1. Walking gives us a way to manage the momentum of our lives.

2. It enforces a certain determination to reach a goal.

3. We work with each step to both identify and overcome those things that challenge us in our path.

4. Regular walks build the health and vitality of our bodies.

5. Our minds get the support that a healthy body provides

Walking benefits your whole life

A life you can walk through

We all search for peace and equanimity. How many of us find it? In my experience it seems to allude most of us today. We can have busy and frenetic lives. Whether you choose, like I have, to walk it may not matter. But ask yourself, do I take moments of quiet reflection in life?  We can foster peace and well-being.  This happens when we understand where we go and how we get there. Please consider your road. Perhaps you may consider how walking can benefit you. When you do, you may also experience a life you can walk through.

Tickle The Infinite Possibilites Within

There are benefits from existing in a meditative state of being. When we meditate we are in a restful and peaceful state of mind. We have a gentle awareness. In its essence, meditation is being aware of the present moment. Through meditation we seek to fully experience each moment. This can be hard to affect.  Much of the time our attention is invested in our passions about the past or our expectations of the future. What we experience and learn in life is very compelling. Our minds give a sense of reality to our feelings about past and future events. With practice the mind can become more focused on the present. 

The mind is constantly drifting in and out of awareness. At one time most clocks made a ticking sound. You would probably notice the ticking as you walked into the room. If you sit down and start to read a book, your attention becomes focused on the content. You no longer experience the sound. When you stop reading, you will begin to notice things again. Perhaps you may now hear the sound of that very same clock, ticking away. Our reality is closely tied to our awareness and our feelings. 

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There is a part of all of us, that simply notices all things. It does not judge and does not get distracted. It is the observer in you. It is a place of restful awareness. It is the part of all of us that is in balance. Deepak Chopra teaches mindful meditation as a process of spiritual, physical and mental health. He suggests that we can step back and look at ourselves in a more conscious manner. From here we can live in a meditative existence. It empowers us. We make decisions based upon quiet reflection in a mindful way. We do not give in to a chaotic reaction. It gives us at least one moment of consideration,  This can make all the difference in the world. It helps us to make the most fundamental choice that we can make. This is the choice of how we choose to see things. From this ability to choose we can have lives of peace. Ask people like Wayne Dyer, Ram Dass and many more and they would likely tell you the same thing.

The practice of meditation is not new. There have been meditative conclaves from almost all religions and wisdom traditions for thousands of years. These practices include the Gregorian monks, the Sufi dervishes, the writer of  the Psalms,and the Vedic rishis. All have the same goal.  They were not really seeking to become people who meditate. What we are really seeking is to be free. We yearn to transcend our normal state of being. We seek equanimity and peace. Meditation is merely a tool. 

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There's a wonderful story about a spiritual teacher who was giving a lecture. He was getting very little reaction from the crowd. There was one little lady sitting up front. She had to be about ninety years old. She just kept nodding her head at various parts as he talked. You could tell that she understood perfectly what was being said. Today, he was teaching on meditation and how it changes our states of being. It is where we find the most divine part of ourselves.

Later, after the lecture, the teacher sought out the old lady. She did not seem like a person who normally would come to his lectures. They tended to be a bit younger and New-Age minded. He was simply amazed that someone like that could so identify with his teaching. Why did she get it so perfectly when no one else seemed to? How did this little old lady understand this in such an experiential way?  How did she know how to transcend her normal state of being? He looked into her eyes and asked her how she knew? She looked at him and simply said, "Well young man, you meditate, I crochet!" So we can broaden the concept pretty far on that basis. Everything can be meditative.

We exist in several states of being. There is  the observer state. There is the state processes what is being observed., Then there is the critic that evaluates what we observe. The more we identify with the part of ourselves that only observes, with its impartial view, we can begin to have the ability to be mindful about our whole lives.

The critical aspect of our being is clearly the most insidious. It is built upon our experience base and our process of socialization. When you look into the mirror you must ask, who am I  really? Are you what others tell you that you are? Do you live your own truth? This again, is a part of being mindfulness about your life. It helps us to find our way on the path. This is the part that the observer allows us to change our lives.

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While there are many methods for fostering a mindful awareness, most are comprised of practices that quiet the mind. For most people, a quiet mind is proceeded by a quiet body. Physical relaxation can be an important factor in reaching the meditative state of mind. A quiet mind helps us to not get swept away. A quiet mind helps us identify less with the experience and more with the one that experiences. As we begin to have a quieted mind, we can watch our thoughts and feelings. 

Perhaps this may be a good example. Try to imagine all of your thoughts as if they were leaves flowing down a stream. When we are meditative our thoughts pass by like the leaves going with the current. For a moment we acknowledge them. Then let them pass by. They no longer hold our awareness. This will allow us to see each thing for what it is. Now we can make the only choice that we have. This  is the choice about how we choose to see things.

The Buddhist have a saying, "There are many paths up the mountain", or sometimes, it is put as, "There are many paths to God".  In mindfulness training you may find that certain paths fit your needs better than others. For some people meditation methods such as watching yourself breathe works to foster a "present awareness". Others may find a simple stroll does the trick. Maybe a good bath puts you in that place where you can watch everything in the present moment. It really does not matter which path, school or technique that you choose if they work for you they will all lead to the same place.

This is a place of personal empowerment and peace. For one who is mindful has the power to do anything they want. We only have this moment. Yesterday is just merely a memory and tomorrow a dream. Right now at this moment, with the power of mindfulness behind you your life can be forever changed. Now you know, how to tickle the infanite, within. 

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A Practical Approach To Self-Compassion Continued

So far in this series of articles about self-compassion we have examined several key concepts. For you to foster self-compassion we discovered that:

• 1. We must actively hold ourselves in a tender and loving manner to come into greater acceptance of yourself you must be able to observe your deepest thoughts and feelings
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• 2. A tool that you can use to see these things clearly asks us to take five minutes at least two 
• times per day a to still our bodies and minds
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• 3. When we do quiet ourselves we can begin to see ourselves in a permissive state. From this we build the ability to respond in a thoughtful manner to our situation. This ability to respond gives us greater power to change then the thoughtless reactions that is often the norm in life.

Inscribed above Gandhi's tomb is, "Think of the poorest person you've ever seen and ask whether your next act will be of any use." This poverty could be related to many facets of our life. In our own lives many have experienced poverty in our feelings, poverty of acceptance, poverty in our isolation, as well as financial poverty. From time to time we all may suffer a life filled with poverty of many types. These unmet needs can often cause us to feel isolated and alone. It would seem that we are the only people who carry our burdens. We need to begin to remember that we are not the only people to experience loss and isolation. When we begin to see how common that our experience is we can start to feel less isolated. It helps to know that you are not alone even in your pain and suffering. That pain might be tailored to our experience but we are not the only person who bares sickness, sorrow, disease and pain.

The ancient Pali word, "metta" means loving-kindness, friendliness, goodwill, benevolence, fellowship, amity, concord, inoffensiveness and non-violence. It usually used to indicate an approximate means by which we can have a strong desire to see all beings experience peace and happiness. The inclusive attributes helps us to connect with both the joys and suffering of ourselves and others. This can be practiced as a "metta meditation".

For our purposes meditation in this instance means to quietly sit and reflect on thoughts of peace and happiness for all. This includes ourselves. Take a moment, close your eyes and imagine that as far as you can see there are beings of every race, creed and color. Think about a memory where you feel loving and kind. Concentrate on not just the event but the actual feelings involved. You may notice that you have actual physical feelings associated with this. When this feeling is clear enough simply transfer those feelings to all beings. Imagine that this feeling is like a bright light shining in your heart. Let this light of love and compassion spread to cover everyone and everything.

This method helps us to build a rapport with something greater than ourselves. By this process you can gain a sense that you are far from alone. You begin to see your inter-connected nature. As you start to feel this connection you realize that you are experiencing many of the same things that those around you do. This can lead to acceptance that to have pain is a normal part of life and that others share in your burden. Once you come to the conclusion that others experience pain and suffering you can begin understand that your pain is reasonable. It is empowering to see that others move on in their pain and that you can too.