There’s a birthday card with a yogi sitting cross-legged on the cover, a present before him. Inside the card he opens the gift and exclaims, “Nothing!” with a big smile on his face. I assume this refers to the Buddhist philosophy that nothing holds everything, that when we’re free from attachments, we are enlightened, free. When we meditate as if we’re a robin arriving in Ann Arbor for the first spring-like day, we are inviting in newness. There are no expectations. We can still have an intention (see Three Fundamentals) but we’re not expecting a specific outcome.

One of my own meditations can illustrate this. One day I couldn’t stop thinking about something bothering me. I sat down in the middle of the afternoon and closed my eyes. My mind continued to go through the monotonous details of the issue. I knew there was nothing to do about what had happened. It just bugged me. And that day I was too agitated to use my usual calming techniques. I kept noticing the thoughts over and over again. Then something startling happened. My inner voice, intuition if you like, asked, “What do these thoughts feel like? I concentrated on the sensation in my head. For me it was like my brain was spinning. Other people have said for them it’s like a bouncing ping pong ball. So it might be very different for you. I focused on the sensation inside instead of the content of the thoughts. But meanwhile they were still playing loudly. To my surprise the spinning started to slow down. I stayed with the sensation and the thoughts slowed more until my mind was completely quiet - a pond of stillness. I dropped into meditation - that deep place where time seems to expand. Next time you meditate you can imagine you're a robin new to the area or on the fresh leg of your journey to self awareness.

As a mental health professional, an owner of a fitness studio, a writer and a wife, mother and grandmother, I have found meditation to be helpful in every aspect of my life. Let's talk... My novel, A Barroom View of Love, is in an online contest. To watch the video pitch and vote go to nexttopauthor.com/?aid=580 You can also contact me at susanmmorales@yahoo.com or check out my websites: susanscottmorales.com and bodiesinbalancefitness.com