In this meditation, I reflect on the fruits of meditation practice and the difference our practice can make beyond the time we spend sitting in stillness. Meditation can offer relaxation and rest, but its deeper value is found in the way it gradually shapes how we relate to ourselves, to others and to the circumstances of daily life.
We begin by noticing what it is like simply to enter meditation. There may be openness, resistance, discipline or a hunger for stillness. Rather than judging any of these reactions, we meet them with curiosity and allow ourselves to become present to the body, the breath, our thoughts and our feelings.
From this place of awareness, we consider what our meditation practice is producing in our lives. Can we notice a difference between the days when we meditate and the days when we do not? Can we recognise the beginnings of greater peace, stability or joy?
The meditation then focuses on peace and joy as fruits of practice. Peace is not a flatness or withdrawal from life, but the ability to remain connected to an inner stillness even when circumstances around us are unsettled. Joy, similarly, is more than a response to happy circumstances. It can emerge from the deeper knowledge that we are held in unconditional and infinite divine love.
This meditation offers an opportunity to reflect on your own daily meditation practice and to gently cultivate the seeds of peace and joy already present within it.
Chapters:
00:00 – Introduction: The fruits of meditation
00:50 – Opening bell
01:04 – Entering the time of meditation
01:56 – Sitting with awareness
02:52 – Noticing body, thoughts and emotions
03:57 – Deepening into the breath
04:58 – What is the truth of my meditation practice?
06:38 – How meditation permeates our lives
07:10 – The fruit of peace
08:22 – Touching the peace within
08:38 – The fruit of joy
09:31 – Resting as the beloved
10:28 – Breathing in peace and breathing out joy
11:03 – Seeking the seeds of peace and joy
12:11 – Returning to the day
12:25 – Closing bell