Get Some Headspace- Finding Simplicity Through The Clutter

I recently discovered a website that I already find invaluable to my growth called www.getsomeheadspace.com. The slogan is, "The world's first gym membership for the mind."  

The site features courses in guided meditation that are set up as things like “10 minutes a day for 10 days” or “15 minutes a day for 15 days” (courses called Take 10 and Take 15), etc…

I am 3 days into Take 10, and I am already blown away by its effectiveness.

I have been meditating on and off, in some form or another, since 2003. Ever since I discovered meditation as a way to clear the mind, I have seen it as necessary for my life. I have gone through various struggles keeping meditation in place, as far as maintaining the necessary discipline, keeping the right mind set, and also experimenting with different forms.

When a person has a long relationship with a practice, things can become a bit muddled over time. You can lose the core of why you started doing it in the first place and it can easily become just another thing on the to-do the list. In a desire to finally “get it right,” you can become rigid and stiff, get lost in your ritual, and completely lose sight of the state of present peace of mind that is the gem of any practice.

What I love about this sight is that it is helping me return to simplicity and ease, not just in meditation, but in life. I feel my mind being cleared of all the weeks and months and years of struggle and saying, “Just be here.”

Space. Lots of space is being created.

Have you ever gotten lost in the thick of a practice, a project, or a new skill you are trying to learn? Have you tried lots of different techniques, but nothing really seems to stick? Have you prayed about it and talked about it, only to have it come kick you in the gut when you’re down for some other reason?

Maybe the “it” for you is your inner critic; maybe it’s your meditation practice; maybe it’s finding the right romantic partner; or making peace with a family member; or forgiving an ex. I’m sure you have dealt with the proverbial “thorn in your side” at least once in your life by now.   

I have always thought of simplicity in terms of material possessions. Every time I hear of the notion of simplifying I immediately think I’m being told to give up some clothes or to organize my papers. I often forget that simplicity is, more than anything, a state of mind.

So if you have a long struggle with something, think in terms of going back to the root of why you wanted this particular something in the first place. Clear away some of the clutter that may have built up around that initial, pure, simple wish. If the residue of failures and setbacks has settled heavily upon you, do what you can to wash it away. Find a sense of gratefulness for the setbacks, knowing that they have served to bring you to where you are right now—alive and still trying.

If you have been searching and searching for solutions, throw away the voices of advice that don’t work for you. Too many voices complicate things. Try to distill everything you have learned into one clear, simple voice—a voice of compassion, that moves you both to action and to stillness.   

Find your own simplicity. Clear away the clutter. I promise you’ll find a clear space waiting for you, and you’ll feel much better.

If you're reading this blog, please take a moment to leave a COMMENT on some ways you've found simplicity and gotten some headspace in your life.