through their yoga and tai chi classes, as well as many other workshops they offer. Or, just step inside, with no agenda, and be still. I offer “Second Saturday Labyrinth Walks” there and would love to help you with your meditation journey! You can join me this month on Saturday, March 10 (register on the Hines Center website) or any other second Saturday, except for April 14 or June 9.
Meditate to Reach Your Soul by Sarah Gish
J
oseph Campbell said, “The privilege of a lifetime is being who you are.” This is our soul’s mission – and yet, we are often too busy, too loud, too hurried to listen to our inner self. The remedy for this is the practice of meditation. I suggest that you take the time to get still and listen to yourself at the start of each morning, before the energy of the day sets in. Doing this as a regular practice will give you a deep connection to who you are and what your purpose is. An easy way to meditate is to set a timer for 15 minutes and focus on one inspiring word. Your mind will naturally wander but keep bringing it back. I promise that your morning calm will carry you throughout the day. You can expand upon this simple morning meditation in many ways. One of my favorite ways is by walking a labyrinth. I have walked labyrinths all over Houston as well as around the country and each experience on the path has opened me to new awarenesses or calmed me down or helped me solved a problem. Combining the action of walking with the silence is magical for me – I’m a hyper, busy person and labyrinths anchor me. Labyrinths are not mazes – they have one path in and the same path out. Walk them and you’ll feel a bit disoriented and yet, you can trust that you’ll get back to where you started. This pattern becomes a metaphor for life and things you notice on your walk become lessons about yourself. Do the leaves on the path bug you? What are some obstacles in your life? Are people walking too closely? Does your life feel crowded right now? Is it hard to ignore the outside noise while walking? Do you need to find more
quiet time? Stopping and listening to ourselves is the most important thing we can do in our lives. It is our self-knowing that leads to everything else: how we contribute to the world, what we create, who we associate with, how we live, and how we care for our planet. This article is part of an ongoing series in which I discuss the “12 Ways to Ignite Your Life Daily” that are at the heart of my IGNITE YOUR LIFE! art project (see more about the project and the “12 Ways” here: IgniteYourOwnLife.com. Each month, I will explore one Way and I will also suggest a site in Houston to visit that I love and that connects to the concept. I believe in not only understanding these 12 ways and words in your head and in your soul, but also experiencing them first-hand. For “Meditate each morning. (meditate)” I suggest that you visit the Hines Center for Spirituality and Prayer HinesCenter.org, which is downtown at 500 Fannin Street. There are plenty of ways to explore meditation there – on your own with their indoor labyrinth or in their art room, or
Sarah Gish is an igniter, a connector, an artist, a mother – and much more! See her work at www.GishCreative.com and contact her at sarah@gishcreative.com and 713.492.1173. She produces a weekly blog highlighting unique cultural activities for adults and kids in Houston – GISH PICKS: CURATED CULTURE FOR KIDS & ADULTS (www.GishPicks.com). Her I9NITE YOUR LIFE! art project (www.IgniteYourOwnLife.com) is a nonprofit organization and is anchored by a list of “12 Ways to Ignite Your Life Daily,” which are on the website. Sarah sells her IYL bracelets at the Unity of Houston bookstore and she also does private intuitive guidance sessions on Mondays at Body Mind & Soul; to schedule one, please call the store at 713-993-0550.
March 2018
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