A very big aloha.
My name is Reverend Cindy Palos,
And I'm very happy to be here with you today.
And I wanted to talk about some of the different stages we go through.
When we begin to meditate as we advance in our meditation practice and what we encounter on this inner journey of our lives.
I was watching the movie Eat,
Pray,
Love the other day on TV and it was so interesting because it brought up some of these facts in an interesting way.
I mean,
She had gone on the self-discovery trip and gone to.
Fabulous place in Italy where she could learn to.
Eat and cook and have a good time and had a really fun time you know and this is part of what we like in life to go out and have some fun and be with friends and then she went to India and she started to get involved in meditation and it was so interesting to see how they represented the fact that what you encounter when you go into meditation sometimes is really difficult you know just trying to be quiet to just be present to get past your thoughts.
I thought that was very accurate.
And that made me inspired to talk a little bit more about that.
Because you do go through that initially when you're going inside to meditate.
You will.
I still find after years and years and years of doing this that your mind will wander.
And you learn to just be present and let the mind go through its stuff and it quiets down eventually you know and you are more aware of yourself.
Now in the initial stages of meditation when I began a long time ago.
There was so much bliss,
So much amazing energy.
That was there to tap into.
And I don't know if that happens with everyone,
But I think it's.
.
.
Pretty much like a love relationship.
In the beginning of the first six months or a year of being in love,
You have that high,
You know,
You feel that great energy.
Well,
I think the same thing can occur when you begin to meditate and connect with your higher self.
There's that love stage where you just are so up and high and then you get into that next stage which involves getting past that wanting to feel good in meditation.
And getting deeper into who you are and what you are.
And that goes on a long time.
And what I find from that is,
For me,
Is still encountering going through that stage where you have to get past your thoughts.
You go inside and you meditate.
And you will go through stages of your thoughts and what you're going,
Everyone goes through things,
Your thoughts will come up and what you're going through will come up.
That quiets down and then you learn to go to that next stage,
That deeper stage where you recognize your true self,
Your inner self.
And that can lead you in so many amazing places,
Right?
And for a lot of people,
That brings inspiration.
And I have definitely found that for me,
That I can go in that stage.
Just go to the quiet and.
.
.
Really delve deeply into the many layers,
The multi-levels of what's there.
Inside the conscious mind.
And you go through that and then you find that next stage which is being in that stage which is the higher state of your soul and the stage of where that true source of that inspiration,
That love and the light comes from.
And that again brings you to that amazing inspiration.
That truly is addicting in many ways.
You just love what's happening there.
And then you go through that stage and you realize what you have to do to bring it back to make not only own life better,
But.
.
.
Possibly to give something back to others.
It can be as simple as just being kind.
It can be as simple as.
.
.
Something that you do in the day that maybe helps or inspires in some ways.
But there's literally countless ways to share what you get from that inner journey that you take that will take you through.
That interconnection that will bring you to the heights,
But then bring you back.
As,
For example,
As what Mother Teresa became as a servant to help those around her.
Not everyone is going to be Mother Teresa.
But we each can do our own little thing,
Our own act of kindness,
Our own gift of awareness,
Our own forgiveness,
Our own expression of what we get from within that helps in this journey.
In the many stages of what we do as we learn to.
Accept and understand and put to work the inner practices that are been outlined beautifully in the Buddhist perceptions and teachings.
In many other teachings as well.
It's so beautiful to see this gift and this expression of what we go through.
But it all comes from going inside.
And taking that time and having that perseverance that furthers,
That perseverance that takes this journey,
That continues on,
That will always be with you.
It's never ever lost.
That journey is a long,
Long trip and it's usually done on your own.
You can also do with other people,
But usually that inner journey is a solo journey.
You will learn as you do it.
You will find ways to express and share it with those you love.
Who understand,
Or maybe they don't,
But they will appreciate your acts of kindness.
So this is part of what I wanted to explain is that you don't give up on this journey right now.
It has a lot of stages.
It's like any relationship.
It is a relationship.
It's a deep relationship with yourself.
This wonderful gift of this inner relationship with you and who you are and how you share it.
So persevere,
Stay with it,
And go into that place inside and find that journey that will bring you such priceless gifts.
And don't forget to be encouraged and then to share it.
Thank you so very much for listening.
