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A Spiritually Enlightening Online Magazine. September's Theme: "Inter-be" Bleary-eyed and exhausted, I thought about the Saturday line-ups in Costco and Ikea I just stood in. I have the time because traffic is at a standstill—or crawling at best. The noise of the highway construction grates on my nerves. On the go since the crack of dawn and resigned to a late dinner with little down time before bed, I feel frustration and despair. This is where I was when I started thinking about this meditation.
My mind travelled to Thich Nhat Hanh's book The Sun My Heart where he says "A beginning meditator may want to leave the city and go off to the countryside to help close those windows that would trouble his spirit if left open. There he or she can become one with the quiet forest, and rediscover and restore himself or herself, without being carried away by the chaos of the outside world." And yet, here was the outside world pressing in—the reliving of the sights and sounds of the day. Crowds, high prices, aggressive drivers, smog.
He goes on to say "When awareness is well-rooted, when you can maintain it without faltering, then you may wish to return to the city and remain there, less troubled." It is here meditation begins:
Park your car on the side of the road—don't worry the traffic will be there waiting for you when you are done with this meditation.
First, before attempting to relax the mind, the body must be comfortable and supported. Sit comfortably, adjust the seat to allow for more upright posture. Rest hands lightly on the wheel so they are supported and comfortable. Adjust the windows, A/C, and sun shades to allow the proper amount of heat and light in. When the body is in a good place, it is time to focus on the breath.
Imagine golden light in the air all around. Breathe in deeply and note how the gold goes where you imagine. Let it fill your entire body. Hold it for a moment, then see the grey and black of the stress, the care, the achy tiredness you've been holding blow out with your out-breath. Do it again - golden light filling you and grey leaving. Now once more.
Look around your car and see the golden glow you are breathing in. Remember the happy events the car has hosted. A smile, a kiss, a child sleeping. No matter your particular history, relive it and revel in it. Connect with the love and the beauty the car represents.
Look outside your car. There's gold there too. Feel gratitude for the streets. They enable us to travel further and faster than anyone has ever before. The destruction that is part of construction is part and parcel with any improvement - send love to the project so no unnecessary destruction takes place and the new improvements will be ready faster and more ecologically.
Revisit your day. All through the day, there was gold. Notice it now. Recall the smile of a child, the care of a parent, young people making decisions to ready their first house. Send compassion to the grumpy people you encountered because they didn't see the gold and send heart-felt wishes that tomorrow they will. It's easy to not see the gold when buried under burdens and worries.
Think forward to the rest of the day. There is gold there if you look, so there's no need to worry what the rest of the day will bring. No need to worry or fret—there's only Now and relaxing into the golden space that is all around, all the time, just waiting for slow gentle breaths to allow you to find it.
When you're ready, slowly breathe back into the car, behind the wheel, energized and revitalized. When all is light and gold, time and traffic are no matter.
namaste' Parzival Sattva means "Follow your Heart, Purify your World". Parz's journey began with academic pursuits. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in Astronomy and then joined the Navy before earning his Master of Accountancy and his Master of Science in Taxation. His thirst for knowledge, innate skepticism, and childhood experiences brought about his spiritual awakening. He is currently attending university, studying math and physics with a desire to meld science with spirituality.
Parz is a spiritualist, Tarot card reader, philosopher, and Wanderer on the endless quest of Life. He's an award winning author who has been published in Voice of Choices and Harmony magazines and is nearing completion of "I", the first book in his series "I AM GOD &UR2". His website, which houses his blog, is at www.parzivalsattva.com
Volume 8 Issue 6 ISSN# 1708-3265
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Meditate a Moment
Busy day, Bleary-eyed Meditation in a Car
with Parzival Sattva
Parzival
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