Quote:

              “Meditation practice isn’t about trying to throw ourselves away and become something better. It’s about befriending who we are already.” ~Pema Chödrön

www.positivepsychology.com

Thoughts:

              Often times, as humans, we are not satisfied with who we are. We wish we were prettier, had more money, loved our jobs, loved more, got attention…the list could go on and on and on. When you think about mindfulness and meditation, what comes to mind? Are you worried you will have to pretend to be something you are not? Are you concerned that you have to “throw [yourself] away”?

              When you take the time to sit with yourself and really listen to what is inside of you, you not only learn to love yourself more deeply, you also learn how to understand yourself, to feel and give voice to your emotions. With practice, you find your true self.

Application:

              Initially it can be hard to just sit with yourself. Your mind wanders, you start thinking about other things, and you ultimately quit because you just can’t do it “right”. When you combine the power of meditation with the focus of crafting, however, it’s much easier to stay with yourself. The only thing that matters is making the next stitch. Knitting and crochet are my crafts of choice, but any focused activity can benefit. Just be sure its not something that will cloud your mind with negative thoughts. You don’t want to sit down and try something for the very first time and use it as meditation as there is bound to be frustrations involved.

              If there is a craft that you are unfamiliar with, but you want to use it, schedule a separate time to learn the skill well, and then incorporate it into your meditation practice when you feel you are adept at what you need to do.

              How long have you been practicing meditation? Leave a comment and let me know where you are on your journey.