Today we did a “mini Recollective Awareness” (a’ la Jason Siff) and I invited the group to do that for the first 15 minute meditation. We didn’t share anything earth-shattering: our  experiences with watching the mind become calm, then distracted, then dull, then calm again, or distracted and fretful, all in different ways.

I recommended a visualization from my yoga teacher, Nancy Bloemer, which goes like this:

Give yourself permission (or let me give you permission) to take this time for yourself, whether it’s 15 minutes or an hour, this is your time and your space. You are going to clear out all distractions in this time that is just for you.

Imagine yourself in a bubble or energy field or draw an imaginary circle around you. Imagine sweeping or cleaning this space of  all the things that are part of your busy distractable world. If there are people (or pets) in your thoughts and space (imagining this) ask them kindly to leave. Tell your friends and loved ones that you will be back and not to worry, but this is your time. Turn phones off and put them out of this field as well.  Clear this space for yourself; you can even imagine a broom or vacuum cleaner.

Meditate.

When your sitting is over, you can invite whomever you wish and whatever is going on in your world back in again!

Here’s Nancy’s visualization. Enjoy!

http://bloemerblog.blogspot.com/2016/09/a-time-and-space-all-your-own.html