Lady Victoria Eclectic Pagan's blog: "Transformation Through Meditation and Awareness"

Ocean Meditation

Like us, the sea is ever-changing. And, like us, the earth’s vast oceans appear at a distance to be stable and homogenous. But beneath the mask of solidity that both we and the sea wear, there lies unpredictability, sensitivity, and power. There is much we can learn from the ocean, representative as it is of our inner landscapes. The rough sounds of the sea’s waves are spiritually soothing, and its salt can purify our physical selves. Yet not everyone has the luxury of living by the shore or even visiting the coastlines where water and land meet. The ocean, however, exists in our conscious minds, put there by images we have seen and descriptions we have read. Wherever we are, we can access that mental image and use it as the starting point from which we can help to heal our emotions by meditating on the sea.

To begin, gather together any ocean artifacts you may have on hand. Seashells, a vial of sand, beach glass, stones rubbed smooth by the pounding surf, or a recording of ocean sounds can help you slip more deeply into this meditation, but they are not necessary. Sit quietly and visualize the ocean in your mind’s eye. Allow all of your senses to participate in your mental journey. Feel the tiny grains of sand beneath your feet and the cool spray of mist; hear the sea’s rhythmic roar as the waves meet the beach and retreat; smell the tang of salt in the air. Watch the sun’s rays play over the ocean’s surface, creating shifting spots of teal, cerulean, cobalt, and green. Don’t be surprised if you see dolphins or whales frolicking in the waves—they are there to assist you. Spend a few minutes drinking in the ocean’s beauty and appreciating its vast splendor.

Once you are fully engaged with the setting before you, visualize yourself sitting on the beach, facing the ocean, and watching the waves advance and retreat. As each new wave of seawater approaches, imagine it carrying healing energy toward you. The magnificent ocean in your thoughts is sending you light and love while the sun supports your healing efforts and Mother Earth grounds you in the moment so healing can occur. When you feel you are finished, grant the ocean your earnest gratitude for the aid it has given you. Thank the sun, the sand, and any other elements of your visualization that offered you guidance. Perform this meditation daily or monthly in order to rid yourself of negativity and reestablish emotional equilibrium. Just as the ocean’s tides sweep the shores free of detritus, restoring balance, so can the waves in our mind’s eye cleanse our souls of what no longer serves us.

This is based on the teachings of Osho who was an enlightened master of no religion. His teachings are basically the core of paganism in that he pulls from many different religions but stresses that individuality is most important. Osho is like a modern day Buddha or Jesus. He passed away only 12 years ago, so many of his teachings are adaptable to present day situations. This is not a “how-to” page, it is a “to-do” page. You will find your own methods; I’m just presenting the facts. As for transforming yourself through meditation and awareness this has been quite an eye-opening experience for me. It’s not necessary to plan a day or an hour to meditate, this is about making your whole life a meditation. It is about using every moment, whether it be at work or play, to become aware of everything around you and it’s about going into every moment of your day totally. From my experience, awareness is really the key to transformation so-called mundane things into meditative experiences. For example, you’re walking to the store and what is your mind focused on? Eggs, milk, bread, cheese, etc… We tend to always focus on the future or the past so we miss out on the wonderful things that are going on right now. Forget the grocery list (or write it down) and just be aware of what you’re doing now. “Listen” to your footsteps, “feel” the breeze, “hear” the traffic, “see” the flies, “touch” the flowers, just go completely into the walk - become the walk and all its surroundings. Forget the destination, it’s about the journey. Ever since I’ve started doing this, going totally into random acts, it makes that moment a whole new experience. This isn’t about focusing your mind on one task, it’s the opposite. It’s about unfocusing your mind and becoming consciousness; Osho calls it a state of “no-mind”. Even when you are angry become aware of that anger, really feel and observe the reasons for your anger, just observe, don’t judge and you will slowly become aware that the root of the anger is something totally different, whether it’s greed, jealousy or the ego, and by being aware of this, you can transform it into something positive. I started doing this and found that most of my anger stemmed from my ego being wounded, once I became aware of this and went fully into the anger (or hurt or sadness) it became laughter because the real reason I was angry was just silliness. To lose the ego is to truly be divine- that’s extremely difficult. It’s too bad I’m not there.......yet! Without the false protection of my ego I find myself feeling very vulnerable and even scared at times but it is all part of the process of searching for the truth or divinity within you. Anyway, once you start totally surrendering into certain things, walking for instance, you’ll want to try it with everything- eating, having conversations, cleaning, cooking and even work. It’s like you become “aware” that you are part of that flow of the universe, but to be aware of that connection- that is divinity, that is finding god, nirvana, enlightenment, call it what you will it is all the same. But that is what it is all about. One of Atisha’s (old school enlightened one) sutras says, “all absolutions are effected in one”. The way that Osho explains this is to have one goal in life and that is to search for the truth in yourself. The way that you can achieve this is by knowing yourself and being aware of all that is around you. It is a form of meditation but there are many forms of meditation. I find it difficult to sit still for more than a few minutes but have discovered that gardening and cooking are a wonderful meditative experience for me. Everyone is unique so it makes sense that your path be unique and suited to your needs as well. All meditation is not just sitting on a rock and emptying your mind, there are many ways to achieve a state of “no-mind”. According to Osho, meditation is just a means to an end, however you reach that end is up to you. Do what feels natural to you - sing, dance, paint, write, run, sit. Just be creative and go into it totally. Once you have achieved this transformation within yourself (yes, be selfish), then your inner peace and enlightenment/ divinity/awareness/nirvana will flood to others around you, it is a natural process. Be an individual, be aware, go into each moment totally and always seek the truth within yourself.