LSF Team Meditation Blog

by | Jul 29, 2017 | General, Meditation

LSF Meditation is different from other forms of meditation because it is nondirective. We do not concentrate on anything, we don’t go back to the breath when distracted because we never left the breath, and we are not trying to achieve anything.

When practicing LSF Meditation, we sit and allow. What are we allowing? We allow everything to come and go despite what it is. If we cling to some of these thoughts and feelings, we allow that to occur including the breath as we cling. We also allow nothing to happen. Through this allowing we connect with that which is ever present, never changing – awareness itself. We commune with awareness, which abides within and without. Experiencing this open, pure awareness – Observing Awareness – results in a state of complete fulfillment.

Fulfillment is not a process leading somewhere. It is contentment in how things are right now. It does not matter if life is full of struggle and discontentment – one can still feel fulfillment within the struggle just by tapping into awareness. It helps you see things as they are. Contentment and fulfillment are beyond the ego. The ego is creating the struggle and discontent. We are taught that fulfillment means you have everything you want. However, this is not possible because the mind always wants more, it is always looking for something else. True fulfillment is oneness with the present moment because that is the only reality that exists.

Some of the comments from our Team Meditation participants were helpful for everyone to process. It was noticed how the first round of meditation seemed to be more difficult for some due to the stress of the day coming to the forefront and releasing. This stress must be felt to release. The result was restlessness, struggle, uncomfortable sensations and distraction. Once this transient stress was released, the second sitting was much smoother.

For others, the second sitting was more difficult because the stillness and silence of the initial meditation sitting loosened up accumulated stress that is deeply hidden in the body. The second sitting began unraveling this stress resulting in difficult thoughts and feelings from the past overpowering the experience. This too is normal and helpful because residual and accumulated stress must be released to feel better and do better in life. LSF Meditation is extremely helpful for helping this necessary release to occur. We cannot let go of intense situations from the past without them going through our awareness as they are released.

Each sitting will always be different. Perceive each time you meditate as fulfilling, no matter what occurs. Because that is reality – each sitting is fulfillment itself.

One meditator shared how experiencing meditation awareness showed him how compulsive thinking about the past and future as well as overanalyzing situations takes him out of the present. He has learned that daily meditation helps this tendency decrease as well as remembering to include the breath throughout the day. Analyze as needed but stay in the now the rest of the time.

Another participant mentioned how having a desire for the meditative state gets in the way of the meditative state. This is so important to realize! Desire, attachment and clinging are one of three stressors that will interfere with the now. The other two are aversion and ignoring. The ego wants to be rewarded and desires the peace and contentment of meditation, feeling cheated if it doesn’t occur. Just recognize the process happening and continue to stay in the moment.

The group discussed how being too busy interferes with processing your life and the simple act of slowing down allows for more processing to occur. We must metabolize our thoughts and feelings much like we do food. Unprocessed situations turn into residual and accumulated stress. This can be released during meditation, but living a balanced, mindful existence will make this release a natural part of life.

The final discussion topic from our two Team Meditation classes was related to meditating to go to sleep or when you cannot fall asleep. This is our suggestion: You cannot substitute the formal sitting practice for meditating in bed. However, LSF Meditation is designed to be a practice you can literally do anytime, anywhere, throughout your day. Do the twenty minutes once or twice a day, and then practice non directive awareness, including everything in your field of perception whenever possible. This is definitely possible when laying in bed to fall asleep. It is also extremely helpful when awake during the night with insomnia or disturbed sleep. Practice whenever you can but remember to do this in addition to the sitting meditation, not instead of.

We look forward to more insightful conversations at our future Team Meditation classes. Our LSF Team Meditation Fall Session is open for registration.