Preparations for Meditations
We’ve previously discussed that meditation practices increase the amount of energy we have flowing through the ‘operating system’ or ‘power grid’ of our body. We want to clean up our energy field in our non-meditation activities as part of preparation for meditation. Another analogy can be that through a meditation practice, we are turning up the volume on our energy and the vibration we put out in the world. We want our frequency to be a pleasant song, or it will sound like turning the volume up on a channel of static.
Ways to clean up our energy field include:
- Develop and maintain a calm mind
- Good deeds and helping others to create virtuous energy
- Spend time in nature to breath in fresh, clean air (if you live in a stressful urban environment, increase the amount of time spent in natural surroundings)
- Eat a diet of clean and natural food and drink water, take medicinal herbs
- Give the body adequate sleep to recharge from the stresses of daily life
- Stretch your body to help energy flow and break up spots of pain in the physical body
What if we don’t have time for more new habits? Many are pressured by making a living, studying to take tests, raising families, or hobbies. Of 168 hours in a seven-day week, let’s take out 56 hours for sleeping (1/3 of our time) and take out 45 hours for making a living. That leaves 67 hours in a week to spend with family, eat and survive, and pursue a spiritual path. (I know there may be commuting or a second job…the point is that there is some time). Two hours of chi kung spread out through the week can change your life.
If we don’t choose to take time for our health, we will be forced to make time for our illness. Practice self-discipline for some combination of study, chi kung, tai chi, Taoist yoga, and improving our diet. The investments we make in our health can be stored in our body and will gain interest. When life happens and we have to make withdrawals on our health, it will be good to have a net positive health of balance. I’m proud of you, but we’ve got to keep going. How do you make deposits in your health?
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