Week 18 – My Meditation Journey – Part 1
You can listen here – 9:26 mins
Guess what y’all? It’s National Meditation Month… I get a little geeky about this because meditation has been such an important part of my life since the 90’s.
I started meditating because I was struggling and tired of the struggle. Back then there was no YouTube or podcasts or any of the really cool technology that we have now. I bought Shakti Gawain’s CASSETTE TAPE called Creative Visualization which was a 30 minute program. I thought I was going to EXPLODE. Trying to sit and visualize for me was very stressful. You see, when someone walks me through a beautiful visualization practice, I don’t see a thing, just the black behind my eyelids. Lol
Meditation is such a personal practice. Some people see images, others are really impacted by sounds and other people, like me, are more connected to feelings and sensations when they practice.
My meditation practice is one of the key steps I take daily as I walk that journey. My practice now is totally different than when I first started. One of my favorite quotes from Dr. Michael Beckwith, is meditation is paying undistracted attention to reality, to the eternal, and to that which is real. It is learning to have dominion over your attention, so that you can place your attention where you want it to be.
Science has now proven that what we focus on, our attention, and how we focus on it, our intention is what we manifest in our lives. If we focus on what we don’t have, what we want, will not show up.
I believe we all have what I call a PGS, Personal Guidance System. It is our own personal, GPS, that navigates us around this earth. It is ALWAYS there even when we don’t believe it is. It is there even if we don’t listen to it.
Early on in my meditation journey after I finished meditating, I believe it was in 1995/96, my PGS was very clear that I didn’t need to go to work that day. There was nothing wrong with me, I was not sick. I had finished my 10 minutes a day practice and as I was walking around my apartment, I felt something in me that said… Don’t go to work today. I remember it being very clear. Stay home.
Guess what I did, I went to work. Just like the GPS will tell us something, and sometimes we ignore what the GPS says, the PGS will tell you something and it’s up to you to listen and act. Just because we know how to get somewhere doesn’t mean it is the best way to go at that moment.
The mind chatter I had about not going to work that day went something like this.
“ I can’t just call into work sick, I’m not sick.”
“ How can I call into work, or call out to work sick?”
“ I don’t have a personal emergency.”
“ I need to go to work.”
I went back-and-forth in my head with my mind about calling in because I was not sick. There were no wellness days back then. I think I had so much chatter because I had a wonderful boss who would have been fine with me taking the day. And again, I didn’t trust my PGS.
I was stalling and I was late leaving for work. I worked in downtown Atlanta and drove to the train station to go into the city. I turned left out of my apartment complex to drive to the station that was about five minutes closer than the usual station I went to. All that mind chatter had me flustered. I wanted to get on the train earlier, so I turned left. It was a split second decision to make that left turn. When I turned left a car came from around the curve and T-boned me.
A little backstory. I was driving my 1990 silver Volkswagen Jetta, which I didn’t care for. My whole life I had owned Japanese cars, they were very quiet. I wanted to try something different so I tried a German car. The truth is I DID NOT like that car, it was very loud. Look at that attention thing rearing its head. This was before I even knew about the power of our thoughts.
I called my boss, Del, to tell him I had been in an accident and he told me to take the day off. Guess what, I ended up taking the day off. Look at that… I got what I wanted, to be off that day and I also got rid of the car. My car was totaled. That attention and intention thing, I never like that car anyway. Lol. I replaced it with a Nissan Sentra, it was nice and quiet.
Having a daily meditation practice has really helped me navigate around anxious avenue and confused circle. I cannot even begin to share all of the ways meditation has impacted my life. I can only encourage you. if you do not have some type of practice, consider giving it a try. And remember, your practice is personal to you and that looks different for everyone.
Learning to trust my guidance has been a journey. And the journey continues. I am much better about paying attention and following that guidance. Am I 100%? Absolutely not. I still have moments where I may not listen to my guidance right away. And I tell you it’s never a good thing. Lol.
This week and every Wednesday during May at noon I will be on the Insight Timer App. I encourage you to check out this app, it is the number one app for free meditations for sleep, anxiety and stress, and I have over 40 meditations, book excerpts, and my courses (for premium members) and more out there. The link is InsightTimer.com.
I’ll be sharing my thoughts on meditation, breath breaks and meditations on my YouTube Channel under the playlist – National Meditation Month 2023. I’d love for you to join me and share your thoughts over the month. And of course, subscribe to my channel you haven’t already.
The card pulled for us from my card deck
Relax, Listen, and Trust Your Inner Guidance.
#4 TRUST – I am LOVING I am LOVED I am LOVABLE
Our Next LIVE BREATHE WITH BARBARA SESSION is 5.10.23
Our group sessions are small and intimate (less than 10 people)
LEARN MORE OR REGISTER HERE
May SESSIONS ARE – 5.10 & 5.17 (Wednesdays) 8 – 9 PM Eastern
I’d love to know about your experience with meditation. Are you new, or would you like to learn?
If you would, we’d love to have you join our Wednesday night sessions, we start on May 10.
Maybe you have a group of people that you’d like to start a practice with.
If you know any groups or organizations who want to offer a session, perhaps a lunch and meditate or a program I love referrals and would be happy speak with them about that as well.
On my website on the contact page pick the option that works best. That’s barbarafaison.com/contact-Barbara.
Or you can messaging me @barbarafaison on social media, Instagram, LinkedIn, or Facebook are best.
RESOURCES: All the links are here
Need a quick breath break you can take one right here.
Keep breathing…
Barbara J. Faison
your meditation ambassador
barbarafaisonllc@gmail.com
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