Find A Stillness

Meditators talk about quieting the monkey mind that can be so distracting at the start of meditation. I call this busy-ness the squirrel in my head. As some of you know I just had abdominal surgery a couple weeks ago and now the news of the Coronavirus ramps up what we know of this crisis day by day, even hour to hour.

I often turn to music at times of stress for as a medieval poet said “music has charms to soothe the savage beast”. The fear that can come up with us is such a beast. So the hymn I have been playing to enter meditation is one of my favorite from The Unitarian Universalist songbook “Singing the Living Tradition”. It begins.

Find a stillness, hold a stillness, let a stillness carry me.

Whether you are home fighting with the virus, self-quarantined, forced to close your business or working from home and just trying to adjust to closings and the limitations being placed upon us, your monkey mind or your squirrel may be taking you to dark places, to manufacturing fear and to finding it challenging to get centered and find a place of calmness within. 

I go to youtube, sometimes with a title in mind, other times just trusting that I will be guided to a helpful resource. N.B. whatever sources you seek out, ask that they be for your Higher Good. There is also a lot of fear-mongering and unhelpful stuff on the net. 

If hymns or guided meditation are not your thing or if you are looking to mix it up or lighten it up, go for Celtic music, Broadway show tunes, or oldies but goodies.

You may think that listening to fiddle music or the Beatles is hardly equivalent to being still, but in point of fact the music with calm the monkey mind and help you be fully in the moment.

In the moment is a place without fear or catastrophizing. Go there and know that all will be well.

Celtic Blessings to you all.