This meditation gives us the space to consider or appreciate a certain value or quality in our lives.

Settle down comfortably and find your centre the best way you know how. Relax and be at ease.

Choose an object of contemplation. Here are a few ideas to try out: "avoiding something", "how hard things are to grasp", "pain or illness", "appreciation", "joy", "compassion", "how pleasure changes to pain to pleasure again", "who am I?", or perhaps the sounds around you, or trees or the sky.

Once you are settled, move your attention to the subject of contemplation.

Stay in a peaceful space along with the subject you have chosen. Contemplation is not about "thinking about something," but sitting with it in a friendly and peaceful manner. Sitting like this may evoke words, memories, meanings, feelings. It's like having the subject of your contemplation tell you what it means.

As the meaning gets more clear, move away from the words and stories that come up and rest in the energy of that meaning. By getting free from language and concept and story, you may be left with a sensation or an indescribable sense of "what-it's-all-about-ness". It may seem like a texture or colour or shape, but it has a distinct flavour that sets it apart from the stories and words and ideas that came with it.

Touch upon that object of contemplation now and then through the day. For example if "impermanence" was the focus, then maybe "gratitude" can be a way to honour the insight in the contemplation.

Don't be too surprised if this opens up psychic phenomena.

There are no right or wrong ways to do a meditation. The instructions are guidelines; adapt them to who you are and to your needs at that particular time. Be curious about the process itself.

Remember most meditations become richer the more you practice them. They reveal more of themselves. It can take practice to remember to do a meditation when you need to, and it can take practice to go through the steps. But that's why it is called practice, and for most of us, we practice for the rest of our lives.

Meditations like these are a regular feature of my free monthly Ezine, Starry Night. Subscribe today!

All content Copyright © Janet Dane unless otherwise stated.