"Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?  By taking back control of our mind, we take control of our lives and then we are truly able to live the incredible life we are meant to have"  - Poet, Mary Oliver

I have been on a spiritual journey for some time now.  I have read numerous books on spirituality searching for answers to all of the burning questions of life...how to find happiness, how to find peace, how to have a connection to the God of my understanding etc.  One thing that I have learned from all of the books that I have read is that meditation is an important part of finding the answers that we are all looking for in one way or another.  The purpose of meditation is to take control of our minds, therefore taking control of our lives.  My meditation practice has been a little sporadic over the years.  When things are really hard and I am struggling, I usually find the time to meditate more consistently.  The Practice, a book by Barb Schmidt suggests that consistent meditation is the secret to being able to handle the hard times in a better way and find more consistent peace, happiness and connection.  I cannot say enough about how this book has inspired me to be consistent in my meditation practice.  I will admit that I haven't even finished the book, but I have been so inspired that I had to blog about it.  In The Practice, Barb walks the reader step by step through the practice of meditation and gives practical suggestions for everything from how much time to meditate to where and when to meditate.  This book is for everyone!

Barb points out in her Takeaway Seeds from Chapter 1 that:

Each day is a gift.

Morning meditation helps us go inward and tap into the place that calms, centers, and empowers us.

The peace and mindfulness gained from having meditated shows up in our daily lives when we are patient instead of anxious, loving instead of unkind, and compassionate instead of judgmental.

"Through my personal experience, I have come across a piece of good news:  we can change this way of thinking with practice and consistent work.  The mind CAN be trained.  We CAN take back our control, live in the present moment and "be as happy as we make up our minds to be".

Abraham Lincoln said "we can be as happy as we make up our minds to be".

There has been much research done on the benefits of having a regular meditation practice.  Why not try if for yourself?  I believe meditation is the best thing we can do for ourselves, but also for the people around us.

For more information, check out Barb's blog, Peaceful Mind, Peaceful Life

THIS IS A LIFE CHANGING BOOK

I would love to have your feedback on my blog and this post in particular.  Please leave your comments in the comment section below.  Namaste