Taking the time to meditate in the morning can mean the difference between a good and a bad day. When we meditate, we can tap into our higher power or our inner-selves and find a sense of peace and serenity before engaging in the hustle and bustle of daily life. It may be difficult to begin a daily practice of mediation; many people say things like, “I don’t know how to meditate,” or, “I can’t sit still for that long.” Once we begin trying, however, we will come to a point where we are able to sit comfortably with ourselves in silence and solitude, and reap the wonderful physical and mental benefits of meditation. The great English writer and essayist Owen Feltham once said, “Meditation is the soul’s perspective glass.” When we meditate, we can effectively wash away the stress and anxiety that has been building inside of us and shift our perspective into one of serenity. Jack Kornfield explains in his book, Meditation for Beginners, “in meditation, we discover a natural open-hearted, and non-judgmental awareness of our bodies and our feelings. We can gradually bring this kind and open awareness to witness al that’s in our minds. We learn to see and trust the law of impermanence—this means that we begin to see the world as it really is. In the midst of it all, we begin to see how we can relate to all of it with compassion, kindness, and wisdom.” These feelings—compassion, kindness, and wisdom—are spiritual principles that we strive to live by each day in our recovery. The Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous tells us that “love and tolerance of others is our code.” Whether your recovery program is Twelve Step or not, love and tolerance are spiritual principles that can be incredibly helpful in maintaining sobriety and living free of resentment and fear. Meditation can aid us in incorporating these spiritual principles into our day-to-day interactions with others, leading to an overall increase in happiness and self-worth. Stress and anxiety lead to spirals of negative thought that can easily lead us back to drugs and alcohol as a means of emotional self-medication, but by beginning a daily meditation practice, we are in much less danger of falling victim to the dangers of negative thinking.
You can change your story into one of happiness, joy, and freedom in sobriety. Choosing to enter into a life of recovery can give you the peace and serenity that you have always wanted. Oceanfront Recovery, a treatment facility in Orange County, California, offers the opportunity to achieve sobriety in a beautiful beachfront setting. For information about individualized treatment options, including Residential Treatment, please call today: (877) 279-1777
