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So, You Want to be Happy?
By Kathy Mucha
“The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift.” - Albert Einstein
Most people want happiness, peace, contentment and freedom from pain and suffering. This cannot be found outside of us – it is within. It is our true nature. But how is this realized? This is the great gift you can give to yourself: learning to control and quiet the wandering tendencies of the mind thru meditation. In the classical yoga tradition, hatha yoga (asana) is practiced as preparation for seated meditation. So over time, you may be drawn inward toward more meditative practices.
What is Meditation? Meditation is the effortless control of the mind. Meditation is watching, learning to observe with clarity. It is cultivation of the sacred gift, the intuitive mind. Meditation does not eliminate thoughts. Rather, meditation is akin to making clear your view of the mind as you might polish a crystal disk to see through it clearly. Cloudiness and smudges that distort the view are removed. When the crystal is placed over an object, the viewer can see the object with crystal clarity. When one views the mind clearly, without distortions such as emotions or attachments – in a meditative state – the wisdom within is effortlessly accessed.
Meditation practice allows us to cultivate an inner stillness so that we may hear our own inner wisdom. Problems do not go away. But, without emotional upset we simply become better able to solve them. Peace, serenity, tranquility can be experienced. This is your birthright. Meditation, like yoga, is experiential – words cannot fully describe it. It must be practiced.
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