We have completed our first week of this 21-Day Meditation Experience, Making Every Moment Matter. This week we gained new understanding of the principles of time in order to release anxiety. In the coming weeks we will continue to learn how to honor our own time as well as the time of people in our life.
“There is no actual existence of the past and the future. All there is, is the present.” – Abhijit Naskar
Day 7 – No More Time Illusions
CENTERING THOUGHT
The only real time is here and now.
SANSKRIT MANTRA
Om Hreem (Pure transparent awareness is my essential nature.)
Message of the Day
In today’s meditation, we learn to break the illusion of what it means to live in the present moment. We tend to believe that if our mind is watchful and analytical, it is in the present moment. However if we look closer, we see that almost all that mental and emotional activity is tied up in projecting memories of the past, or fears of the future onto the present. Genuine present awareness is open, accepting, and free from the limitations of the past and future. The experience of pure awareness in meditation reveals what truly being in the present means, and with practice, meditation fully dispels the illusions of time.
Journal Questions
1. Being fully present depends on your state of awareness. Consider the past week, which of the following were part of your current state of awareness: love, excitement, insight, creativity, joy, awe, inner peace, beauty, and inspiration. Write down the ones that mean the most to you, and how you can continue to ensure that they are part of your everyday awareness.
2. In light of Question 1, which qualities from the list are missing that you would like to have in your awareness? Choose two or three, and jot down at least one way you can bring each of these more into your everyday life.
3. In today’s meditation, we discuss how worry is an example of the mind creating a false sense of reality by trying to protect you from anticipated hurt. Journal about some chronic and/or current worries on your mind. What are a few ways you can notice moments of worry and stop them using present awareness?
4. Reflect further on your experience today.