Good Point. I absolutely agree with your assessment of my comment written in haste after a day of frustrating research. Thanks for the self-check. I love Andrea and all she has to say and offer.

I think different people respond to different authors in different ways. For example where you say you find Eckhart Tolle’s writting style “challenging”, I find it straight forward and easy to understand. Eckhart Tolle’s “The Power Of Now” and “A New Earth” have totally changed my life. Also, I have had many “Aha!” moments reading Andreas’ and other’s blogs. The lessons were probably things I’ve read or heard before but this time I got it.
I, for one, am grateful that Andrea and various other teachers are re-teaching the lessons of the enlightened masters of the past for those of us who need to hear it taught a different way. If the re-telling reaches just one soul who would not have otherwise heard the message, it is worth it.

I have used the breath like you describe in #1 and can sometimes relate it to ocean waves flowing in and out on shore. Focusing on the breath helps bring me in the present moment.

I like your suggestions on #2 and #3 with letting go by putting your thoughts in baloons and imagining letting them go and turning your focus to your empty hand and in #3 turning up the volume on the thoughts that are demanding our attention. I’ll have to try these out.

Thanks for your words of wisdom.

Blessings,

I want to thank you for a useful tip on meditation which I had not considered of importance before: observing the space between breaths. Observing the breath in general is a technique which is common to many spiritual traditions – Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity, Taoism, and others.

But through your suggestion, and with a bit of observation and experimentation, I have found that the juncture between incoming and outgoing, and outgoing and incoming breaths, is a point where distraction has a prime opportunity of sticking in its ugly head. By paying special attention to these points, whether the spiritual technique is repeating a mantra, or simple observation of the breath, the meditator can ward off the tendency of the mind to wander at these sensitive junctures, and thus succeed in keeping the mind focused for more prolonged periods. Again, attentiveness is required as always in meditation, and applied at these points, it can be especially helpful.

Thanks for this tip, and for your helpful articles in general.

David – The mind is inventive in its efforts to constantly entertain itself, isn’t it? Mine doesn’t really do video, thank goodness! You must have a very visual imagination, that your mind can play movies for you. Let us know how it goes with these techniques.

Adrianne – What a wonderful technique, to focus on the space between things. I’m going to have to try that out, to witness the emptiness that surrounds us vs. the “stuff” around us. It’s a lovely mindfulness to practice during ordinary life.

Shilpan – Yes, that incessant narrative! Although with these techniques and regular meditation practice, we can actually move beyond that chatter. At least, it worked for me – finally. I’m not sure we can regard any aspect of mind as a “foe,” though. If we start doing battle with our minds, we begin fighting ourselves, which tends to strengthen the egoic mind. All that chatter is, after all, just us. What do you think?

Blessings,
Andrea

Don’t forget your biggest foe — the one that follows you everywhere yet remains invisible. It’s worst than your shadow — It’s your mind chatter. Often, mind chatter is more negative than positive. That’s why it’s dangerous.

Shilpan

The state of bliss from being in the meditative gap is beyond words. But once I start to crave to experience the same state in subsequent sittings, it becomes elusive. In Buddhism, it is taught that craving leads to suffering. And this is the key lesson here for me. Much joy is derived Being in total silence; but never crave (because I begin to introduce a thought of anxiety) – Just Be in the Now!

All the best in your meditation!
Evelyn

Blessings,
Andrea

http://www.attractionmindmap.com/experiencing-the-gap/

I like the tip on #2 very much and may just use it when I next counter difficulty in quietening my mind.

Thanks!
Evelyn