"... The kingdom of God is in the midst of you." -Luke 17:21
*Disclaimer: This is part two of my four part series "Deepak Chopra's 'Future of God."' Click here for part one. And again, when you read the word "God" think whatever makes sense to you whether that be the universe, soul, cosmic consciousness, etc... Deepak had no religious preference in this talk, purely how to connect to our higher consciousness (whatever you may call that).
I have to admit after Deepak had spoken about cosmic consciousness, the big bang theory, and how we're all made out of stars, my mind was left trying to comprehend it all. Right now, maybe it's a little beyond comprehension. Luckily, I had some time to mull it over while the cameras stopped rolling. Deepak was about to begin Act 2 of his public televison special, "The Future of God," and he seemed to be gathering his thoughts with the rest of us.
Now that you've had some time to gather your thoughts from my last blog, "Deepak Chopra's 'Future of God,'" I'll settle you in with a quick recap: Everything has a single source, that source is your innermost being and when your awareness is free it's not hard to find. For the most part, our awareness is blocked by past traumas, experiences, hurts, and our mental models of the world. Now we can start breaking through these blocks in four easy ways...
2. Meditation (Today's blog)
3. Prayer (Next blog...)
4. Self-awareness (Coming soon...)
Alright, the shows about to begin... "Three, two, one...". The teleprompter comes alive as Deepak starts Act 2. "Do you want to know how to connect back to God?" He asks. Of course! That's why we're all here for... Well, his first action item was somewhat surprising...
Meditation... a subtle step to finding our way back to our inner source (God).
Now that we've developed an awareness that this inner source is within us, it's time to access it. We've now reached the door where we have the potential to experience that connection to God by exadning our awareness. So how do we open it?
By meditating. Duh, you just said that! The reason it bears repeating is because so many people don't actually take the time to develop a practice. So many people know, Oh yeah, right, mediation, but then never do it. I think a lot of this comes from being scared of not doing it the right way. I get it, I truly do. My own meditation practice started almost a year ago and in the beginning, I was always overwhelmed with doing it the right way (perfectionist flaw). However, I've come to understand that there is no right or wrong way to meditate. Many different practices exist and you will find the one that resonates most with you. The most important thing is to just start one, because your practice will deepen and clarify as you move through it. As Deepak describes it, finding your inner being is a subtle experience, not a religious one. It takes practice and time to develop. Why do we work out our body in the gym but not our minds? You want an amazing physique? It's not going to happen overnight! You have to get in the gym and start sweating! The mind is no different. It's just another muscle that needs love and attention. So take that fear away and just get started...
In fact, just by coincidence, Deepak and Oprah are offering a free 21 Day meditation challenge so you can really dive deep with Deepak (like the pun?)...
Sorry, but there's no more excuses! Yeah, but meditating sounds like hippie dippy BS... Well, let's take a closer look into the science of meditation before we explore the spiritual aspects. Some remarkable studies are showing that meditation can not only change our genetic expression but can also have incredible impact on our physiological state as well.
Wait... so we improve heart disease, osteoporosis, sleep problems, digestive problems, depression, obesity, memory impairment, and skin conditions just by meditating? Yep! But there's an even deeper reason for meditating... the spiritual connection you will feel. Every experience goes through the brain, so when you improve your brain through meditation, you're able to open the door to a higher consciousness. You're able to connect back to your inner being. You're able to slowly break down some of the blocks preventing you from reaching a higher state. We're all born into this world with a sense of spiritual balance, but we lose it as we go through life (our blocks, remember). Meditation is a way to practice getting the balance back by opening up new neural pathways in the brain for positive input to be put in. Deepak described it as cleaning the dust off a dusty mirror -- that mirror being your brain and how you experience the world.
I like to think of meditation in musical terms. Whenever I start, it's as if I'm at a rave party in New York City... blaring lights, dubstep drops, treble piercing my ear drums, bass rumbling my joints... Then suddenly, silence. I've dropped into a white room where time and space don't exist, free from the madness that lurks in the club.
When you drop into that space, that's when you feel the cosmic connection that Deepak describes. You are one with the universe because you are connected back to the source, your inner being. You can sense the entire world inside your body because we are all connected and now you've finally connected back. The high you get from the lights and music (or however else you get it) at a rave will never come close to that feeling, and even if it did, it's not something that you can consciously command. Wouldn't you want to have access to that feeling at a moment's notice? Then begin the journey... Start practicing.
The more you do it, the quicker you drop in, and the longer you will keep that feeling throughout your day.
So now Deepak's gone through the first two cycles of connecting back to our source. One - Expanding Awareness. Two - Meditation.
In my next blog (part three), we'll discover a new formula for prayer and how it relates to everything we've uncovered thus far. Now go dust of your mirror and let me know in the comments who you find staring back at you...
