Shambhala Meditation

This morning, my roommate and I went to the Shambhala Meditation Center in Fort Collins, CO, for the first time and it was such a rejuvenating and insightful experience.  Although we have both been practicing meditation for almost a year, the meditation instructor gave us some very insightful tips and advice. I have practiced meditation in the typical upright position with eyes closed, but the technique the instructor taught us was eyes open in a soft gaze looking about 6 feet in front of you.  Eyes open helps to concentrate the mind on what is in front of you and allows you to fully be present with your surroundings.
However, he also told us that everyone is different and what feels right to one person may not feel right to another.  Even what felt right to one person may not feel right to that same person the next day.  The beauty of meditation for me is the versatility of it; anyone can practice it because there are always alterations that can be made to fit each individual's mood and disposition.  For myself, varying between eyes slightly open and eyes closed feels peaceful and calming depending on where I am at in my meditation.  Meditating in the morning has also been the best time for me.  It allows me to awaken my mind and be in stillness before the chaos of every day life unfolds.  I've found that morning meditation, though very beneficial, does not guarantee peace throughout the entire day.  The key is to continually keep drawing oneself back to this peaceful state throughout the ups and downs of the day.  Meditation is a way of living each moment mindfully and with intention.     

Some helpful tips for meditation (as instructed by the Shambhala Center)

• In meditation, we rest mind in the present moment by feeling the breath.
• We notice thoughts, let them go, and continually return to the breathing.
• It does not matter if thoughts are "good" or "bad".
• We learn to rest in peace.  We become familiar with our basic goodness

A few last words....

"Our life is an endless journey; it is like a broad highway that extends infinitely into the distance.  The practice of meditation provides a vehicle to travel on that road.  Our journey consists of ups and downs, hope and fear, but it is a good journey.  The practice of meditation allows us to experience all the textures of the roadway, which is what the journey is all about.  Through the practice of meditation, we begin to find that within ourselves, there is no fundamental complaint about anything or anyone at all"
                  -Chogyam Trungpa, Shambhala: The Sacred Path of the Warrior