Be The Change You Want To See In The World - A Personal Meditation Experience From 10 Days In Silence

 

With so much information in this technology-rich era, how do we know what is the right thing to do? Do we listen to the radio show with the Christian talk show host? Do we follow what our parents have taught us? Do we allow our friends and neighbours to tell us what to do and how we should be parenting?  

Have you ever considered that you have all the knowledge you ever need right inside you now? Your own Doctor, physician, healer, priest, or guru? I have. My story begins like this. I attended a Vipassana meditation retreat in Pomona, Sunshine Coast, Queensland, in August, 2001, hoping to experience something amazing. After sitting in silence, meditating for 10 hours each day, I experienced not only aching knees and a sore back, but something truly mind altering.  

I had heard many times before; others speak about the fact that we are energy beings and connected. I understood this from an intellectual perspective; based off Einstein’s theory of matter. That energy is vibrating at a particular frequency hence creates a physical form. Though, at the core of the illusion we call the physical world, we are basically energy, which is basically mostly space. Every cell in our body is made up of energy, vibrating at a particular frequency. Even though science had proven this theory; that our thoughts, our emotional state and our bodies can be measured as a vibration frequency, I had never actually experienced that for myself…until my meditation course.   

It was day 6, and my mind had begun to settle down. My thoughts had slowed. My body movements had slowed, and I was beginning to feel more peaceful, relaxed and content. The days seemed to bleed into each other as our timetable was basically very similar day to day. We were woken at 4.30am from the sound of the gong, quickly dressed in our plain, modest, yet warm winter clothing as it was cold and chilly, then into the hall for our group meditation. From there, it was basically non-stop meditation either in the hall or our own rooms, breaking only for breakfast, lunch and a dinner of two pieces of fruit and a herbal tea.  It was the best and worst thing I have ever done. So, on this one particular occasion, I had been sitting in the hall with the others, listing to our teacher take us through the meditation, and I began to feel my body slowly disappear. The physical form, known to me, as my body, begun to, what felt like, dissipate into thin air. I must pre-frame this situation first. We had started with our breathing techniques first to allow ourselves to focus, and then we begun the technique of scanning our physical body and concentrating on the sensations that we felt. We were not to label the sensation, judge or like the sensation, we were only to observe. Just observe with the awareness that everything is “annicha”, which in Hindi, means impermanent.  

I am not sure how long we were into the sitting meditation when my body began to feel as though it were disappearing. What I could feel was no longer my arm, or my leg, but pure energy as though I were vibrating. I had melted and now all that was left was pure awareness. Nothing left but my awareness, or my mind. It was truly amazing. In this place I was not thinking, only being. I understood then and there, that we are energy beings, and that we are connected to everything and everyone in this universe. As I began to analyse this feeling, the feeling would disappear and my body would return. As my thoughts slowed and my acceptance and awareness expanded, my body disappeared. Incredible! 

The idea of spirituality became much clearer for me then and there. I realised that we are connected to everyone and everything in this universe. This explains what I call intuition. We may think of a friend or family member, and then all of a sudden they are calling us. Because we are connected, we are picking up on their vibes. Or, as soon as we set our foot inside our door at home, without seeing our partner, we know exactly what mood they are in. Their emotions and thoughts are energy and we can feel them. We cannot, not feel them, as we are interconnected. Since I have felt this, I have experienced this many more times in my day to day life. I often will feel a powerful sense of love wash over me as I experience this, and I feel as though I am God, and I am capable of creating anything I want in my life.  

I have stopped listing so much to what my friends and family tell me, and I now listen more to my intuition. Since my mediation course, I have learnt to slow my mind. This has allowed that little voice inside me to become stronger. I now trust that little voice, otherwise known as my gut feeling, and she guides me through decisions in my life. Whether it be a career decision, an outing, a question of whether to rest or to exercise or something as simple as buying a birthday present. I allow my own inner wisdom to lead the way. As an old saying goes, “if you don’t go within, you go without.” 

If we were to each understand this principle, then the world would really be a different place. There is no need to try to change anyone else. The only person we need to focus on is ourselves and ensuring we are feeling as good as possible as often as possible. Feeling positive is of a higher vibration and better for the planet. The more we are feeling great, the more this affects those around us, hence the planet. As Ghandi once said, “ We must be the change we want to see in the world.” He understood this principle very well and now it is time for humanity to step up and begin to transform the world through transforming ourselves. Healing our past, living in the present moment and living a life for ourselves that is full of love, laughter and happiness. This is the greatest healing the planet needs, and it can be begin with each of us now.  

Tamika Hilder 

 

www.empoweredbirth.com.au

Tamika@empoweredbirth.com.au