It hardly ever looks like the photos we see on Pinterest. You know the ones: the sunlit rooms and sacred spaces, beautifully designed offices and organized desks, candlelit bathrooms and clawfoot tubs filled with rose petals and lotus blossoms.
Even if those places exist, there's bound to be some mess behind the curtain. And "mess" can mean anything from dirty dishes to crying children and blaring televisions.
I started a meditation practice this week; I'm going for at least 20 minutes each day. Yesterday was easy enough because I had the house to myself, but today was another story.
I put my ear buds in and cranked up the Moses Code meditation by Dr. Wayne Dyer, but among the blissful notes I could still here my husband watching t.v. in the other room. Then I felt my dog nudging his nose under my hand, begging me to pet or play.
I felt my self tense up, longing for a quiet space and 20 minutes of solo time.
But then I thought...well, this is how it is. This is life and it's not always quiet and perfect and the right time. In fact, if I can meditate through movie chatter and dog nudges, I think I can get through the chaotic times with a little more ease.
If we can learn to go inside ourselves and quiet that space, even when the outside world is loud and less than ideal, I think we've mastered the art of meditation.
So be kind to yourself (and others) when the outside picture doesn't match the one in your head...or the one you envy on someone's blog.
Just let it be. The mess, the noise, life.
Go inside yourself and create that peaceful, sacred space. That's where all the magic happens.
I plugged the numbers into a random number generator and the copy of Bella Grace goes to...
Nancy D!!
Nancy, shoot an email to ckpoet@gmail.com with your address and I'll mail the copy out to you a.s.a.p.