Connection in Meditation
Welcome back to our weekly blog, and this particular mini-series focussed on ‘experiences of meditation’, where we have been covering different aspects of our experience of meditation each week. Today, we will look a little more deeply into this concept called ‘connection’.
Connection
Think of a time someone really ‘got’ you
Connection is used commonly to mean a sense of being ‘known’, ‘in tune’, and almost being in line with — or even the same as — another person. Have you ever felt so ‘connected’ to another person that you have felt they were almost the same person as you — you felt like they really understood you, really ‘got’ you, in a way that perhaps you hadn’t felt before?
Can we connect with the person in the mirror?
People often find that through the practice of meditation they can feel this sense of connection — both to other people, but also to themselves, the world and more broadly the universe around them. We often don’t think much about our ‘relationship’ with ourselves. But when you look at yourself in the mirror, what sort of words come to mind? How do you perceive or relate to the person you see looking back at you? Often, ‘checking in’ with that person — through meditation — can be important in finding out just ‘where we’re at’. What are we feeling or thinking in this moment? Often we take our relationship with ourselves and our own body for granted. People also find that keeping a diary or journal, or even just going for a walk or run, can help them get back in tune with themselves. There are so many other ways people can do this — what do you think your way is?
Improving our daily experience of life and others by ‘slowing down’
Learning to ‘slow down’ and still our mind can open up space — almost like having time slow down — in our own internal world, which can then translate to the external world. By ‘slowing down’ — by creating more ‘space’ in our internal world — we can be more present with the world around us. We can be more present with other people — by being in touch with our own experience, our own feelings, our own selves, we can better be present with the experience of others. We can know each other more directly and authentically, and therefore feel less alone. We can see common experiences — worries, stresses, anxieties — in other people, and recognise that we are not the only one who has to bear these things. We can also experience joy, and share this with others.
Everything is connected — but what does that really mean?
Mindfulness can give us a sense that there is a universe here, right now, that I am a part of. We can notice things we didn’t notice before — the way the rain sparkles or the way the dew sets on the grass, or the stars sparkling in the night sky — that help us feel more part of the universe.
Everything is connected — somehow — including you and me.
That’s all on this topic of ‘connection’. Stay tuned for next time where we will cover other common experiences of meditation. If you want to experience this connection in action and join a growing community of like-minded indiviudals, remember to join us every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 19:30GMT in the Secondary School FocusRoom (we use this as a combined session for both rooms) for live and free mindfulness sessions. We look forward to seeing you there!
