Naturally, I forgot to meditate when I first woke up in the morning, so I had to settle for meditating in the car on the way to the mall with my mom. Luckily, I’ve always found driving to be a very relaxing experience. I can fall asleep in seconds in any plane, train, or car! Once again, Headspace instructed me to take in the way my body was feeling without any resistance. The app reiterated my early hesitations, noting that often people try to meditate with the idea that something has to happen, when the true point of meditation is to just take a little break out of one’s day in order to return to it with a calmer state of mind.
At the end of my second session, the British guide asked, “Do you feel different?” Without a doubt, I noticed that sounds and colors appeared sharper and more intense than before I began. I also felt much more in tune with the present moment. The only way I think I can describe this feeling is by quoting Eckhart Tolle, author of The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment. Tolle writes, “Have you ever gazed up into the infinity of space on a clear night, awestruck by the absolute stillness and inconceivable vastness of it? Have you listened, truly listened, to the sound of a mountain stream in the forest? Or to the song of a blackbird at dusk on a quiet summer evening? To become aware of such things, the mind needs to be still. You have to put down for a moment your personal baggage of problems, of past and future, as well as all your knowledge; otherwise you will see but not see, hear but not hear. Your total presence is required.”
Just as Tolle found that entering the present moment —“the now”— helped him to look at the world around him in a new way, meditating for the second time made me feel more aware of my body and my surroundings. And I am pleased to say that this new awareness of things made it easier for me to accept them for what they were.
-Ally Donovan
Related Articles:
Getting More Headspace: Day 1
Getting More Headspace: Day 3
Photo Credit: Blackbird in the Pussy Willow via photopin (license)
