{"id":29289,"date":"2013-05-30T11:40:53","date_gmt":"2013-05-30T15:40:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/horizonsmagazine.com\/blog\/?p=29289"},"modified":"2025-03-06T08:04:53","modified_gmt":"2025-03-06T13:04:53","slug":"a-primal-meditation-sitting-in-the-pouring-rain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/horizonsmagazine.com\/blog\/a-primal-meditation-sitting-in-the-pouring-rain\/","title":{"rendered":"A primal meditation sitting in the pouring rain"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>I wrapped up in a sheet and sat in the pouring rain last night in the backyard.\u00a0 It had been raining off and on, short spells of pouring.\u00a0 I was reminded of a powerful waterfall meditation I’d had once at a retreat, so I prepared for it. I pulled a bedsheet out of the closet and wrapped it around me like a cloak.\u00a0 I went out into the backyard and found a grassy spot to sit on.\u00a0 The skies were cloudy, no moon in sight at 9:30 pm. It was about 77 degrees. I began by preparing myself by breathing rhythmically.\u00a0 Within a few moments, a downpour hit and I could feel it pummel down on me.\u00a0 I had the sheet over my head as well, but within a moment I was soaked through.\u00a0 I’d prepared myself for the chill by doing yogic fire breaths<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

I gave my body up to the pummelling and let myself merge with it, focusing on my breath all the while, to keep myself in the Observer state.\u00a0 That’s the practice, to give yourself up to the elements, while remaining conscious of your body doing so.\u00a0 For the first few minutes, all attention is on the sensation of the pounding onto your body and the loud sound. You feel how small you are, compared to Nature’s might. The mind’s instinct is to get out of the rain. The mind does not like anything drowning it out.\u00a0 It likes to pretend it’s in control. It likes to take you down this rabbit hole or that, spinning you in circles until YOU choose to step out of that maze and begin to do soul work.<\/p>\n

That’s what meditation<\/a> is all about: you bringing your mind under conscious control on a regular basis – via daily practice – to develop the discipline to have it do your bidding.\u00a0 You WILL concentrate when I say!\u00a0 You WILL eat what I know to be healthy.\u00a0 You WILL walk daily because a fit body is a dependable vehicle.\u00a0 You WILL sit daily for meditation and practice bringing your attention back to your breath as many times as it takes.\u00a0 That’s the practice.\u00a0 You WILL give up the idea of achieving a blank mind, because as long as you have that as a goal, you will not achieve it.\u00a0 Have as your goal simply to continue to bring your attention back to your breath, no matter what is going on around you.\u00a0 That’s the practice.\u00a0 In the warm, dry, dark and quiet meditation hall, it’s fairly easy to do.\u00a0 Sitting wrapped in a sheet being pummelled by rain, now that is a yoga.<\/p>\n

RELATED: Meditation links<\/a><\/p>\n

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