Fall in Love with Meditation

It's Valentines Day and everyone talking about love. How about falling in love with meditation? When it comes to meditating, many people will tell you that they would like to try it, or do more of it, but they "just don't have the time." And while the benefits of regular mediation or sitting silently are enumerable and well-documented even the most dedicated practitioners go through periods of time where meditation takes a back burner to all the distractions of life. My personal meditation practice ebbs and flows depending on what is going on with me in any given week.  You would think that after living the ashram life and sitting at the feet of the guru for a week straight this past December in Munger, India I would have enough energy, fortitude, and inspiration to never miss a day of meditation again. Sadly that has not been the case. So for the umpteenth time as I once again rededicate myself to cultivating more meditation time in my life I am reminded of an episode of "Oprah" that I saw last year.  The episode was about being happy and what to do to "be happy." In addition to being inspired by listening to Goldie Hawn speak about her own experiences of meditation, happiness, and love I remember resonating with Oprah's challenge to her audience to sit in silence for 1-minute a day.  Just 1-minute.   And it got me thinking that perhaps I need to apply this concept in my life to get my practice back on track. From past experience I know that once I've made time for that 1-minute, it most often turns to 2 minutes and in many cases 10-15 minutes have passed and I have managed what would be considered a legitimate meditative effort.  And it all started by making time for just 1-minute! Even the busiest person can find a minute.  Yes, even you!  No?  Sure you can.  Before getting out of bed, while standing in line, before lunch, before going to sleep, etc. are all great opportunities to take 1- minute to stop 'doing" and just "be." So stop reading and give it a try.  Yes, right now.  Adjust your current posture for comfort, take a deep breath in, let it out and close...............your............eyes. There you go, you did it!  One minute of slowing down and just being.  One minute well spent doing absolutely nothing. If you liked that one minute and want more of where that came from consider  Oprah's Challenge or give this simple Breath Meditation a try. Since you have to start somewhere, why not start with 1-minute? "It only takes a minute... to fall in love, to fall in love...." So this Valentine's Day find out the love of your life is YOU and fall in love with meditation!