Meditation for Beginners by Jack Kornfield
Jack Kornfield just happens to be the creator of one of my favorite meditation DVDs. I use it all the time and have played it when others have asked me about meditation.
“Jack Kornfield is one of the leading Buddhist teachers in America. A practitioner for over 40 years, he is one of the key teachers to introduce mindfulness and vipassana meditation to the West. His approach emphasizes compassion, lovingkindness and the profound path of mindful presence, all offered in simple, accessible ways in his books, CD’s, classes and retreats.” Source: www.jackkornfield.org
Today’s Meditation Suggestion is about letting go of what is not working for us. As Jack Kornfield says below, you can’t compromise about this. You can’t want to awaken yet also hold onto the things you do or think or believe that do not align with the awakening. In other words, get out of your own way.
This is just as true on the yoga mat. How many times have you been practicing yoga and your mind is saying, “I can’t do this! I am not ready for this. I can’t stand on my head (or shoulders or one leg).” Then, you do it! Maybe with some help the first few times but YOU DID IT. You let go of the thinking that prevented you from achieving the pose and your body stepped up to the challenge. In a sense, this is a sort of “awakening” because you realized that you were holding onto beliefs that weren’t really true, that were just limiting your experience.
In spiritual life there is no room for compromise. Awakening is not negotiable; we cannot bargain to hold on to things that please us while relinquishing things that do not matter to us. A lukewarm yearning for awakening is not enough to sustain us through the difficulties involved in letting go. It is important to understand that anything that can be lost was never truly ours, anything that we deeply cling to only imprisons us.
–Jack Kornfield
You can purchase Meditation for Beginners by Jack Kornfield here. The comprehensive DVD shows you how to start and stick with a daily meditation practice. Learn to use physical sensations –even difficult emotions– to create a more peaceful life for you and the world. It is great for all levels.
