Stay in the center of the circle and let all things take their course. ~ Lao-Tzu
Today as I sat in meditation I was reminded—again—of just how important meditation is to my overall wellbeing.
I’ve been using a guided meditation of late called Sitting Like a Mountain, by Dr. Julien Lacaille. You may have heard me mention it before.
In this meditation we are asked to envision ourselves as a mountain—calm, steady, serene, majestic—and then begin to notice the weather patterns in our mind. Is it sunny and bright? Or are there some dark clouds and/or emotional storms coloring our inner landscape?
Well, let me tell you. I’ve had a big one brewing the last couple of days. And you know how that can be! When it’s stormy and dark it’s hard to imagine the sun. Those dark clouds can be all-consuming and feel impenetrable, making it pretty hard to function. Right?
But when we can take a step back as this meditation asks us to do—to become the ‘seer’, the witness, and to observe the inner landscape of the mind—we can then also see the clear vast sky that holds those storm clouds. This then allows us to see that those dark menacing storms are just weather. They are temporary and will pass. They are not who we are. They are not our essence. They are just clouds.
This is the power of meditation. It helps us return to our calm center, to ‘stay in the center of the circle’ and let things take their course, as Lao-Tzu so wisely counsels us to do.
It does not mean we need to bury our emotions or feelings or try to sweep them away. Rather, it encourages us to stay calm, allow what needs to happen to happen, and know that with time, this, too, shall pass.
And that in the meantime, just like the mountain, we are equipped to weather whatever might come our way—rain or shine, calm or storm.
I invite you to join me on this incredibly rewarding journey.
May it be so.
Cindy
“Weathering the Storms of the Mind” image by Cindy Novelo (Salida, CO)