And I think that as I’ve aged, I realized everything is an ongoing process. And that it isn’t something that suddenly you’ve done this work and therefore you become enlightened, right? That you’re like, oh, you wake up one day and be like, oh, guess what, I don’t have an ego. I’m not bothered by anything. And instead, of course, it’s just the ongoing slog of being a human and returning to the practice. And OK, here we are again. That’s bothering me. Here I am again. I’m full of faults. […]
I usually sit for at least 15 minutes a day. Sometimes in the morning and sometimes at night. At night, it’s usually because I’ve forgotten to do it in the morning. Or I had something early, an early flight or something like that. But I try to start my day with it. I also try to do — set an intention every day that I just hold with me throughout the day. And sometimes it’s just like, oh, I’m feeling a little stressed out, and I’ll just say let’s just think about ease. And I’ll say, just keep saying the word ease and it comes up. And then my meditation practice — it differs. Sometimes it’s — I think the core is always love and kindness. That’s what I learned many, many years ago. And that’s my fallback.
— Ada Limón, from “Ezra Klein Interviews Ada Limón” (Ezra Klein Show, May 24, 2022)
Live & Learn 
We all have the need, for, meditation, reflection, every day, it’s just, that sometime, life gets, too, hectic, we can’t find the spare time, for, ourselves…
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It’s a sound practice in an unsound world – sit with the words love, ease, or whatever the most needed mantra may be, and focus until you feel it…
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that’s it Mimi!
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Thanks for the share, Dave! This one resonated deeply. My morning meditation has become as important to me as brushing my teeth. I just don’t feel as ready to meet the world if I miss it. And yes, we are never “finished”. Happy New Year!
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I need to get on the morning meditation bus Martha. Happy New Year!
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‘the ongoing slog of being a human’ – perfectly phrased. and yes, always try to spend a bit of time returning to the center of it all -love and kindness.
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Truth Beth!
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I’m not one to meditate but I’m thinking an awful lot all the same. I can’t empty my mind and frankly gave up trying yo long ago . In the morning I never ever have enough time…. does ‘a lot if thinking’ count for anything positive too?
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so long as it is positive!!!!!
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Oh it is – I‘m no longer ‚doing negative‘…. Costs too many nerves (and took me too long to learn).
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Laughing. Good strategy!
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A good practice, methinks. Stop and breathe and centre before anything else…
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Right! Now to execute.
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Starting now. Or tonight. Or tomorrow 😉
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Laughing. Me too!
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😏
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She sounds so rushed. Slow it all down … it’s not about us or our faults at all. It’s about feeling the space and opening to presence. Some people can be great meditators but never wake up, because they are so focused on the doing and thinking versus the being and feeling.
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Sitting with Wally sleeping in your lap is better for you than a morning mediation practice without a puppy.
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I so agree with you Val…. 😉
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So agree with that Val. 100%. Ditto for falling asleep.
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Oh to be able to slow down and live in that world. Just for a bit.
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Meditation: appreciating stillness. Practicing clearing or emptying the mind of any and all thinking. Or, we fail to listen fully. Always babbling! And, that deprives us of being fully present. And, others of being fully present when with us. [worth our time to practice…without it being regimented!]
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Yes!!!!
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