Douglas Johns, LCSW
Portland, Oregon
503-252-3739
Meditation ~ Portland, Oregon
Douglas Johns, LCSW
Meditation is nothing special.
Simply put, meditation is intentional and conscious
awareness to the ordinary experience of your life, just as
it is, right now. There's a paradox to meditation: the less
one strives to get "somewhere" when meditating - i.e., deep
relaxation, blissful mind states - the more benneficial
meditation becomes. Of course many of us begin a meditation
practice wanting something to be different in our lives,
myself included. And in time it becomes clearer that
meditation is not about needing to get anywhere. Meditation
is a practice of just being. Nothing special.
Try this: Take a few moments and pay attention to your
breathing. Allow your other senses to fade somewhat into
the background. When your mind wanders to thoughts gently
return to simple and direct awareness of breathing. Don't
judge how well you do this. Don't put yourself down or
critique your experience. Just allow the breath to be what
and how it is. Allow your breathing to find its own rhythm.
It is natural for the mind to wander and become distracted,
however. When that happens just notice it, silently note
this to yourself as "thinking", and return again to the
direct experience of breathing. That's meditation.
There is increasing scientific research demonstrating the
healing properties of daily meditation. There's no need to
join a religious commune. Meditation itself is a
non-religious skill that anyone can utilize regardless of
personal belief. While I am a student of Zen Buddhism, I
teach meditation to people of all orientations as a
straightforward skill to cultivate self-awareness. The
byproduct of this skill is increased calm, concentration,
self-confidence and self-compassion.
In the final estimate deciding to meditate regularly is
about making a commitment to yourself: To understanding
yourself more fully and to loving all the parts of
yourself. Increasing this potential creates more room in
your conscious mind to make decisions about how to live
your life. It's not easy to do and kindness for yourself is
the way to begin. Please call me with any questions you
have at 503-252-3739.