Symphony of the Senses

If you meditate, you know how hard it is to quiet your mind. We have so emphasized the mind in our Western experience that we are always in our head. Buddhist nun Pema Chodron tells us to see our thoughts as clouds in the sky passing by without fixating on them. It's not easy. There is a reason meditation is called spiritual practice. If you keep at it, you may experience the intimacy of the Spirit within you. Let me tell you of a wonderful experience I hope inspires you.

Having meditated daily for many years, one day, I was able to preoccupy my mind by immersing in my senses. I truly brought my mind in harmony with my body. I have never had a more blissfully profound experience.

Let me set the scene. It was a typical morning. I walked upstairs to my meditation room with dandelion mocha tea in hand and fully equipped with Apple devices (iPad for reading, iPhone for playing music, and AirPods for listening to music.) Isn't it funny how much we rely on technology these days, even in contemplation? I wonder what the Christian Mystics would think.

I began with my sacred morning rituals of contemplation by journaling and reading *spiritual devotionals. I lit candles on my altar as prayers to surrender my troubles to God. Finally, I sat on my meditation bench with the willingness to empty myself and open to receiving.

Now the symphony of the senses began. First, music playing softly in my ears became **the soundtrack to the present moment I was savoring. The smell of the warm tobacco candles tantalized my nose. As I slowly breathed in, I could feel the cool air in my nostrils as I filled my lungs. As I exhaled the breath was warm. When I closed my eyes, I could see beautiful colors melting into abstract shapes. The feeling of peace laid softly on my body, caressing me with the comfort I could only imagine as God holding me. I don't know how long the experience lasted, for time did not exist.

Will I ever reach this heaven-like state again? I don't know, but I do know I will keep coming back, for I am a God seeker.

And to think this delightful experience is but a limited awareness, for I believe the body cannot truly know God's grandeur.

*A Course in Miracles, Meditations of the Heart by Howard Thurman, and A Year with Hafiz by Daniel Ladinsky

**Music from the Amazon Prime Music Meditation Channel