My quest for deeper spirituality has led me to often ponder meditation. Every time I do though I am daunted by thoughts of being unable to turn my mind off, unable to decide on a proper sitting position and wondering if I'm supposed to picture anything or focus on an image in my head.Andy Puddicombe is a mindfulness expert and in his Ted Talk discusses how meditation does not need to be done while sitting on the floor, burning incense. He insists that to discover calming changes in one's life, a person need only take 10 minutes out of their day to allow thoughts to come and go while observing them with a relaxed non-judgmental mind. His talk reassures me that as long as I take the time to meditate mindfully, there isn't necessarily a wrong way to do it.Andy also mentions the perception of meditation as "an aspirin for the mind" when in reality it can be a preventative practice. Meditation is a way to live a more peaceful existence and paves the way for the mind to handle even the extreme negatives of life.

"We can't change every little thing that happens to us in life, but we can change the way that we experience it."- Andy Puddicombe

[ted id=1640] Do you meditate? When did you start your practice? Do you have any tips to help beginners?

I am delving into Spirituality this week in my Vibrant Life Cleanse.Spirituality to me is a connection with and trust in a higher power. I did not always have this trust and connection. For many years I shut out my higher power altogether. Only recently have I opened my heart enough to let my higher power back in and only recently have I been meeting the exact people that open doors in me so that I can grow.The more I trust in my higher power and let go of people, places and things the more I am able to deeply connect with myself.My goals for this week:

Find a guided meditation that I can do 2 times per week
Find one immensely spiritual person to interview
Read Walden by Henry David Thoreau

This week's book, Walden, is an account of Thoreau's own exploration of his capabilities and his search for spiritual understanding. I picked up the book a couple weeks ago and it's been buried on my desk since then. I was having a very difficult time planning for this spirituality week until I received awesome encouragement from my roommate and members from my new Mastermind group. That and the fact that I found Walden on my desk (and discovered after Googling it that it was perfect for this week's theme) made me realize I am exactly where I need to be on my journey.A good reminder for me today is:

“You must live in the present, launch yourself on every wave, find your eternity in each moment. Fools stand on their island of opportunities and look toward another land. There is no other land; there is no other life but this.”- Henry David Thoreau

What does spirituality mean to you? Do you have a great book, blog or article you've recently read on spirituality?

Ted Talk: Andy Puddicombe: All it takes is 10 mindful minutes

Week 4: Spirituality