Arriving Home :: Being At Home In The Midst Of Change
"Wherever You Are, You Are Home."
Through our meditation practice, we have the humbling opportunity to feel at home no matter where we are in the world, what is happening in our life, and whenever we find ourselves in the midst of transition or change.
We all encounter change. Whether we like it or try to it, the nature of life is built around change itself.
Even when we are in a routine, have a regular schedule or are in a rather stable period of our lives, change still has a way of finding us.
Over the years, I have found an unshakable sense of stability during big life changes and small daily changes.
This sense of centeredness, strength and dependability comes from an inner sense of home. A home that is accessed by cultivating a foundation of mindfulness and meditation.
Below are some guiding principles on how to be at home in the midst of change.
Being At Home In Meditation
Wherever you are, you are home.
It's true - wherever you are, you are already home. Home is always in the present moment. When I first heard this, I judged it to be pretty high on the "cliché meditation phrases" list. Once my practice became consistent, I felt like I was returning to a home that was within me no matter where I was meditating. Just like meditation is a mobile practice, our sense of home is also mobile as we grow an inner sense of home.
Meditation is a home base.
In its nature, meditation is an act of returning to a central object of focus that resides in the present moment. Most often the object of focus that you meditate with (whether it be with the body, the breath, sound, or mantra) becomes a home base in your meditation practice. It is a place to return your attention to again and again, no matter how many times it strays away.
The nature of life is change itself.
This is another meditation phrase that can cause a bit of healthy skepticism. Yet from atoms to molecules, brain cells to blood vessels, every piece of what makes up physical reality is actually not as solid as we may think. Impermanence, change, starting, stopping, breaking, growing... It's all embedded in the nature of life itself.
Our inner home is enough.
When you have a connection to your inner self, you find what you have within is already enough. Often we place stability, steadiness and security outside of ourselves in the external world. Yet when you have a reference point that is turned inwards, you come to realize that wherever you are is home, and this inner home is more than enough.
Know that each time you meditate and each time you show up to your practice, you are creating an inner sense of home that is unwavering in the face of adversity, transition and change.
