I’m not sure where I heard of 30-second lectures, but I’m going to attempt one here. So put on your seat belt.
At our recent “special stake conference,” our area authority said that if you want to change the church (or the world) you have to go to the young women and the young mothers. He said if we are not taking care of mothers we are not taking care of the church. I liked hearing that because it’s so true, but him saying it didn’t suddenly change my life or any of my fellow mother’s lives. Then I realized that taking care of the mothers in the church is going to have to start with them taking care of their relationship with God. A true experience of connection every day will heal whatever you need healed, will bloom what is wilting, will energize what needs it, and more than you can ever dream up.
Yet so few people ever have the experience of connection. Why? They are too busy. I don’t have time now. If you don’t have time now you will never have time because it is always now. And now is where our relationship with God exists. You have to get into the present moment. And if you want to consciously connect you can’t do it with your body or mind alone. You have to do it with your spirit. How? What holds the body and spirit together?
Your breath. It’s a tool that God lent you. “Inspiration” means to breath in.
Try it. For just 3 minutes a day. Choose a word or two words and inhale them in and exhale them out.
You can try doing them whenever, but you’ll find that you get too busy. The best way to consciously connect is to get up 3 minutes earlier in the morning. Before everyone else gets up. Before you story gets up. Your story will always pull you out of the now.
Inhale. Exhale. Expect nothing. We meditate to handle the world better when we are not meditating. Things may happen, but don’t expect anything magical during your 3 minutes. And don’t ask for proof of your progress. Just keep doing it. Maybe add a minute every week. Mark the calendar for 9 months from now. Then look back but not till then. Just keep doing it.
Keep up and you’ll be kept up, as the saying goes.
This is fabulous. Everyone knows that the measure of a culture’s stability is how it treats women, because the women protect the culture. This is why we focus on educating young women in developing countries. What a wonderful insight. How can we help young mothers connect with God? That seems to me the mission and focus of RS for the last decade or so. What power there is in knowing what the larger goals are.
Bonnie,
So true. I think the RS does a good job, and within that global organization are lots of individuals who can pull the whole program up even more by increasing our spiritual practice.
Love this thought Felice. And I’m going to take your challenge.
And as I ponder this I know that along with early morning meditation, I need to look for more opportunities to connect with God through my children. Reaching together instead of thinking I can only do this when I have some alone time.
Yes! Robyn, I was going to add that next but thought it would put me way over my 30 seconds. But yes, so important to then teach children or find some sort of natural way of incorporating breath and meditation into your interactions. Love it. It will be my next 30 second lecture. 🙂 Maybe I’ll have Phoebe teach me a 30 second lecture and I’ll report on it.
That’s a great idea. I’m looking forward to it.
Excellent lecture. Can’t wait to hear Phoebe’s too.
In one of my yoga classes my teacher said, “Your breath is your best friend, it is always there for you. Use its power.”
That struck me to my core. I find that with mindful breathing I am a better mother, a better prayer a better woman. When I start feeling out of control, I TRY to remember my best friend and slow down and use it to help me calm down. I don’t always remember, but when I do I am amazed at the power breath can give me.
When I first heard T1 broke his arm I started to freak out, but then remembered my breath and it helped me get centered. Had I not be practicing this I don’t know that it would have worked. Thanks for the reminder!
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