Active Meditation

Meditation can be a useful tool for humans to connect with their higher selves, tap into the elusive undertones of daily living that may escape the conscious naked eye and, to uncover the most profound wisdom of the Universe. The suggestion of meditation to someone who has difficulty concentrating or processing information in a *normal* way can leave some of us extremely frustrated.
I've found that by being physically active during the meditation, those of us with attention deficit can benefit tremendously.

For people that have a difficult time quieting their minds, practicing active meditation can be a very healing technique. Including water in some fashion will increase the effectiveness. A good example of active meditation using water is taking a shower or washing dishes by hand. Allowing  your mind to wander ( not hard for those with A.D.D. ) as you continue to scrub the dishes or even your body, can lead to spectacular revelations.

Focusing on a question or concern while taking a shower or doing dishes lends opportunity for quick responses to pressing questions that might overwhelm us when we sit still. Being physically active will expel energy from your body which may be getting in the way of calming your mind.
Active meditation is a wonderful way to connect to the subtle energies of Tarot card meanings.
Choosing a particular card for study and shuffling the rest of the deck instead of sitting quietly, while focused on this one card can help open the door to these higher frequencies.

At first it may be confusing as to where this information is coming from. I don't think it really matters in the long run. The insights we gather from the card may or may not match those with others. Again, I don't think this needs to be a concern. People with attention deficit tend to over-think. The point is that you will receive insight.

Active meditation requires practice like any other regimen. Mastery over allowing too much trivia to invade our thought process will be developing along the way. Another good example of active meditation is in doing mundane tasks. While cleaning the apartment or shopping at the market, we can use these experiences to strengthen our meditation muscles.

It's helpful to be alone when doing active meditation because speaking out loud can bring us to focus our energy further. If you must be in the presence of others, you can simply get into a rythmic flow of physical activity ( sorting papers, folding laundry, etc. ).
The beauty of active meditation is that you will be multi-tasking. In today's world multi-tasking is a must for most of us.

__ __   Francine Blackwell

Comments

[Tarot Source]

This was a fascinating read for me. I have no problem being still, but meditation - as I thought of it - has little appeal for me and I've never been quite sure why. I now understand that in dance I have been practicing active meditation - so I can do it too!

[Francine Blackwell]

It's funny, after I posted it I thought it silly that I forgot to give dance as a perfect example that anyone could use. I'm glad that you got that. Dance is a fabulous active meditation. Considering that many cultures use dance in their spiritual practice (Native Americans, for example), I think it's a time honored form of connecting with the Divine. Dance On!

[Bonnie Cehovet]

Francine:

What a wonderful article! This will be helpful to many people. A couple of other "active" meditations that came to mind when reading this article were walking* (preferably in a park, or in the woods), or doing labyrinth work - literally walking a labyrinth.

* Please take safety precautions, and walk in areas that you know, in case you do have to defend yourself.

Blessings,
Bonnie

[Francine Blackwell]

Hi Bonnie,
Sorry I missed your comment.
I often walk the beach and woods. Riding a bicycle is another way in which I zoom into an active meditation. As I think more on this topic, I've come up with a long list of useful ways to connect in this way.
Ironically, someone recently invited me to experience the labyrinth they've just created in their backyard. Can't wait.

Francine.

[Patricia (a/k/a Roswila)]

I'd just like to add that I actively meditate while playing musical instruments, mostly flutes or my didjeridu. Especially the didjeridu. And back in my more active improv music days in which I took part in sessions in basement or rented spaces, drumming was a favorite, too. (I'd drum these days at home, but I'm afraid my neighbors would not wind up in very meditative states! LOL!)