Meditation
Verse 43 of Tao Te Ching
The most yielding thing in the world
will overcome the most rigid
The most empty thing in the world
will overcome the most full
From this comes a lesson
Stillness benefits more than action
Silence benefits more than words
Rare indeed are those who are still
Rare indeed are those who are silent
And so I say,
Rare indeed are those
Who obtain the bounty of this world
The words of Lao Tzu translated by Jonathan Star
Meditation is a method that allows us to experience stillness and silence. It is a way to an immense, spacious and quiet place in oneself. Through concentrating on the breath and quieting of the mind, we are able to be clearer and enjoy greater self-awareness. As a daily practice the effects are cumulative, enjoying greater insight, and changing the perceptions or interpretations of what is.
As well, meditation practices have been adapted for use in health care settings. When I was a graduate student in 1978, I assisted in a research study teaching meditation techniques to young children with asthma. By focusing on easy breathing at the onset of asthmatic symptoms the children were able to calm down, helping their symptoms, and thereby using less medication. Throughout my years of practice, I have taught meditation for numerous medical conditions including grounding a person with a seizure disorder, helping a person lower pain levels, or helping a person with a chronic illness to refocus energy and discover his or her own healing power.
Meditation is also a spiritual practice among the many spiritual practices. For myself, going on meditation retreats has been a way to connect to myself and to the larger universe at the same moment. I feel greater ease in my heart afterwards. That ease and opening of the heart is my definition of a spiritual practice. I encourage and support each client to pursue what calls you, whether it is prayer, yoga, qigong, ceremony, or meditation. There is always divine timing for what and when one's spiritual practices develop. I offer meditation classes monthly to ensure the possibility of having this amazing tool for the community and for my clients. Please check the calendar for the meditation class schedule.
For more on meditation see Meditation In Mental Health Lesson 5:
Research on Meditation as a Treatment from the Spiritual Competency Resource Center.
Eve is an amazing teacher and I had the opportunity to study meditation with her as well as participate
in workshops on trusting inner guidance. Her strong background in so many systems, spiritual,
metaphysical, and energetic, provide Eve with the ability to combine these methods to have the
learning be satisfying and useful in my personal daily life. AC, Takoma Park, MD