Daniel Scharpenburg meditation

Meditation and Facing Yourself

Meditation practice is like making an appointment to sit and be real. We take our seat and then we are just present with ourselves and facing what we find. It’s in this practice that we have an opportunity to put down all our baggage and the lies we tell ourselves and to just be present with what’s underneath.

The way we react to our experience in meditation can sometimes mirror how we handle things in life. If you are avoiding your practice at all costs, you’re probably someone who avoids dealing with things that need your attention. If you get to meditation and hold onto the practice really hard, you’re probably someone that’s high strung. If you fidget constantly during the practice, you’re probably someone who is often distracted in day to day life. None of these things are incredibly bad or worse than the others, but it helps us to know ourselves.

Sometimes people express that they don’t know if meditation really helps with their self awareness. This is one of the ways it helps. It helps to show you what you’re working with. Learning what your big struggles are is a big step. Some of us spend our lives avoiding reflecting on our shortcomings. Meditation practice forces us to stop doing that. You have to face yourself.

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Want to come meditate with me? I’m at HDKC Monday nights at 7pm. Meditation Practice, Support, and Encouragement. 4327 Troost, Kansas City, MO.

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Meditation Encouragement

I’m here to provide encouragement because we could all use some.

The truth is that meditation is hard and you have to work at it. People that are trying to sell you things may try to convince you that it’s easy. It’s not. What’s easy is finding ways to avoid doing it. I think of it as like flossing. It’s something we know is good for us that we don’t really want to do.

Having a plan helps in a big way. So, if we say, “This is the time we meditate and we do it in this place,” that can be really helpful. If we can create a routine, that is best. Doing it in a group helps too. Although working with your mind is a solitary practice, we can start to feel like we have a team to encourage us and make sure we stay on track.

That matters. I started a weekly meditation group to encourage others, but the truth is I know that inviting other people to meditate with me is going to do a lot to motivate me to make sure I practice. It’s the best way to make sure I meditate regularly. I can’t make excuses in that situation.

Another thing. To me the path is about being real, about putting down your shit and learning how to be more genuine. That’s the place I come from in my teaching. You will find meditation teachers who don’t talk about real life and who talk in weird sing-songy voices That’s off putting to me. It seems weird. I’m totally willing to be authentic and open and I think that’s the thing that makes what I have to offer unique. Many other meditation teachers will create distance where there doesn’t need to be any.

 

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