I used to think that I had to sit motionless for a certain amount of time in order to still my mind in meditation. Over my years of practice, I have found this to be a common misnomer when thinking of meditation. People can become very focused when running, creating art or even through sports! As long as the mind is focused on something for an extended period of time, the mind will naturally still.
Inspiration and creativity are results of a tranquil mind. I have noticed this for myself when I teach yoga classes. There have been many times when I prepare for a class but won't be able to teach this lesson because students will come that have never practiced yoga before. I must shift the lesson to incorporate these new students. However, I like to start classes with silence and then breathing exercises. This helps people focus on the present moment and what is happening with them while letting go of all previous activities that occurred to them throughout their day. I find that as I move into a space of surrender, the class flows right through me as if I am not teaching it at all. The lessons come from a deeper source within me.
Taking just a few moments to clear the mind can set the foundation for meditation. I like to use myself as an environment for experimentation and I find that when I do this, I become clear and can step out of my own stream of consciousness to allow Grace to flow through me. I become the vehicle or conduit for creation to manifest. When I snowboard, I become very focused on the path I am going to take that everything else begins to drop away into the background. Of course, I still have to be aware of my surroundings but I am highly attuned to my own movements. My mind becomes so aligned with I am doing that a unique silence is created.
Just as when one formally meditates, the mind is focused but still aware of all that is happening around. When I lived in India, I saw people who were sitting on a sidewalk in the middle of the hustle and bustle of life completely still in meditation. I watched them for a long while. It was only when they began to stir from their stillness that I approached them. I asked them how they could meditate with all this commotion going on around them. Their answer was all very similar to the other. They would focus on their breath and God and over time, their mind would follow suit. So even though they were aware of what was happening, they were able to detach themselves from their surroundings.
As we realize we are ultimately not the doer, we begin to create this detachment from any end result ourselves. This is a progression on the path of the evolution of our consciousness. Engaging in any activity with this notion and devotion becomes freeing and revolutionary in terms of creating freedom in the body and mind. We all have the ability to become awakened!
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