Meditation Is A Dinner Party

Try Not To Force Things Too Much

Often, when meditating, we try too hard to force a certain state of mind that we think we should have. We try hard to suppress thoughts, for example. This is just another thought, of course, and another obstacle to the peaceful state we are hoping for.

So how do you make things happen that can't be forced? The question itself shows the need for another perspective. Some things can't be forced to happen, and all struggles to do so only take you farther away. There are times when all you can do is prepare and wait.

The Dinner Invitation

Imagine a wonderful evening with new friends. You prepared dinner, bought a good bottle of wine, and cleaned the house. Now the guests are here, the conversation is great, and you are happy. Can you make this happen? Yes and no.

You can prepare in every way to make it a pleasant event, but in the end, the guests can decline your invitation, or not arrive, or show up late, right? You can't force them to come, or if you try, you'll ruin the atmosphere or even the friendship.

That is how meditation is, too. You do what is necessary to prepare for a good experience, but in the end, you can't force it. Work and discipline help, just like cleaning up and chilling the wine are necessary to prepare for a good dinner party, but there is no forcing the result. When the experience is a good one, enjoy it, but if it doesn't happen, just prepare again.

So when you want to invite inspiration into your meditation, or into your life, don't try to push the guest through the door. When you are tempted to do so, turn back to your preparations, and concentrate on that. Just send out the invitations, prepare yourself, and relax.

Steve Gillman has meditated and studied meditation for over twenty years. You can visit his website, and subscribe to The Meditation Newsletter at: http://www.TheMeditationSite.com/newsletter.html

MORE RESOURCES:

2 From US Meditation Group Killed - New York Times

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A HinJew Target in Mumbai - Washington Post

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Group therapy #39;beats depression#39; - BBC News

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd width=80 align=center valign=topfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifa href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/2i-0fd=Rurl=http://www.themedguru.com/articles/meditation_combats_depression_study_finds-86118653.htmlcid=1276323353ei=GkQ0SZi1HY3I9ASzy7SVDQusg=AFQjCNFDfnrb1oneLVl9WhRwHIXFEQXX_gimg src=http://news.google.com/news?imgefp=vOIg38c8EiUJimgurl=www.themedguru.com/files/meditation_0.jpg width=80 height=73 alt= border=1brfont size=-2TheMedGuru/font/a/font/tdtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/2-0fd=Rurl=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7754632.stmcid=1276323353ei=GkQ0SZi1HY3I9ASzy7SVDQusg=AFQjCNE2V5C2NHGmdSddDHWZN1bkseCvKQGroup therapy #39;beats depression#39;/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fBBC News,nbsp;UKnbsp;-/font nobr10 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1Group-taught bmeditation/b is as effective as staying on drug treatments for stopping people slipping back into depression, say UK scientists. b.../b/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/2-1fd=Rurl=http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5jGbPbUusPPgTvge-wfONsLQqX8Mwcid=1276323353ei=GkQ0SZi1HY3I9ASzy7SVDQusg=AFQjCNEkYNrpKt_iHDd3p-E0Aqc2TqlydQbMeditation/b #39;best for depression#39;/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrThe Press Association/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/2-2fd=Rurl=http://news.scotsman.com/health/Meditation-39beats---.4746662.jpcid=1276323353ei=GkQ0SZi1HY3I9ASzy7SVDQusg=AFQjCNGX-5BEUCU3wl2nwKO0e-VLHuq53gbMeditation/b #39;beats antidepressants#39;/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrScotsman/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/2-3fd=Rurl=http://www.themedguru.com/articles/meditation_combats_depression_study_finds-86118653.htmlcid=1276323353ei=GkQ0SZi1HY3I9ASzy7SVDQusg=AFQjCNFDfnrb1oneLVl9WhRwHIXFEQXX_gbMeditation/b combats depression, study finds/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrTheMedGuru/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1 class=pa href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/2-4fd=Rurl=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1090754/Meditation-effective-meditation-according-research.htmlcid=1276323353ei=GkQ0SZi1HY3I9ASzy7SVDQusg=AFQjCNE2qylcnXUmqaCoeemnzY5S7ahl7gnobrDaily Mail/nobr/anbsp;- a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/2-5fd=Rurl=http://www.metro.co.uk/news/article.html%3FDepressed%3F_Meditation_better_than_happy_pills%26in_article_id%3D424625%26in_page_id%3D34%26in_a_source%3Dcid=1276323353ei=GkQ0SZi1HY3I9ASzy7SVDQusg=AFQjCNHsE9ZmnzMsGoFFxXxrpRF_ksQsrwnobrMetro/nobr/a/fontbr/font class=p size=-1a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclientie=ISO-8859-1rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGLG:enncl=1276323353hl=ennobrall 31 news articles/nobr/a/font/div/font/td/tr/table

Nicole Kidman#39;s Australia meditation - China Daily

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Meditation Tips for Resisting Temptation - Methuselah Foundation

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/4-0fd=Rurl=http://www.mprize.org/index.php%3Fctype%3Dnews%26pagename%3Dblogdetaildisplay%26BID%3D2008114-30031055%26detaildisplay%3DYcid=1275823070ei=GkQ0SZi1HY3I9ASzy7SVDQusg=AFQjCNH0jg0jhQt1wiLT-L1DmuBoC1m2UQbMeditation/b Tips for Resisting Temptation/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fMethuselah Foundation,nbsp;DCnbsp;-/font nobr16 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1Just some background: I view the use of bmeditation/b techniques to keep from eating foods you don#39;t truly want that don#39;t support your health, as a process of b.../b/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/4-1fd=Rurl=http://www.mprize.org/index.php%3Fctype%3Dnews%26pagename%3Dblogdetaildisplay%26BID%3D2008114-29064652%26detaildisplay%3DYcid=1275823070ei=GkQ0SZi1HY3I9ASzy7SVDQusg=AFQjCNFRo78DvJvuNrjdBHZ4cGyc5Eq4CAFlying Egg McMuffin/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrMethuselah Foundation/nobr/font/fontbrfont class=p size=-1a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclientie=ISO-8859-1rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGLG:enncl=1275823070hl=ennobrall 12 news articles/nobr/a/font/div/font/td/tr/table

Mother of US Woman Shot in Mumbai on Her Daughter#39;s Escape - FOXNews

Soul in the City - Common Ground

High Desert Buddhist shrine has regional draw - San Bernardino Sun

Many benefit from Rajayoga meditation - Times of India

Drawn to Peace - Common Ground

Meditation - Google News

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