For many people, the perception and practice of meditaton can get stuck in a rather rigid and formal format that over time can become uninspiring. Using the power of our imagination to respond to daliy life events in a creative way can help us to break out of an overly rigid approach to meditation and to find inspiration for our pracitce from all sorts of surprising sources.
Here are a couple of inspiring examples from a student:
On Native American Elders
I have a natural affinity for the Native Americans. Whenever I meditate upon the shaman elders, I feel peaceful. One morning, I receive an inspiration and visualize a shaman elder clad in deep sky blue Red Indian Hopi tribal dress. He was walking along in the streets which I commonly pass by. I begin to visualize all other city dwellers in the streets to be like him, peaceful, loving and calm! All were walking to their tribal lodge to perform some sacred rituals, prayers or meditation. Respect and honor is their code of life. I take a deep breath and allow myself to be overcome by the sum total quiet and peaceful experience.
The cotton wool meditation
I bought a bottle of vitamin pills. Embedded in it was some soft mass of cotton wool. I took the soft mass of cotton wool out of the bottle and its fluffiness filled my hands immediately. I close my eyes and embrace it with my palms. For a few moments, I become completely overcome by a sense of loving tenderness derived from embracing this piece of soft mass. With this touch, I connect myself with the tenderness, kind lovingness, defenselessness, harmlessness, white purity, gentleness and innocence of the cotton wool. Like a kitten, like a lamb, Jesus/Kuan Yin/God picks me up and holds me dearly in their arms. I allow myself to experience, to feel and to receive this love from God.
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