1. What are you overall thoughts on the Positive Meditation techniques and the way they are taught?
Although I booked the course myself with no pressure from anybody else I was still sceptical as I have lived my whole life with negative emotions at the forefront of all of my thinking. I wanted the changes but thought that maybe I was beyond repair and would end up stressing you out.....little did I know.
After the first session I had to book up the next 3 sessions straight away as I had made a giant step towards believing that life does not have to be horrible, pressured and full of anxious negative thoughts.
Once I could see that I had a choice on how to view topics, situations, emotions, fears, anxieties and the world around me, I felt empowered and actually looked forward to experiencing the things that used to send me into a negative place, so that I could practice changing the way I feel about them, (I am still practising, and probably will be for many years to come, or maybe the rest of my life).
I still get an adrenaline rush when something 'bad' occurs (rainy days, neighbours dog etc), but now I question myself and reassure myself that I can be happy and positive (and keep smiling) throughout. The meditation time is a peaceful time for me to practice Dharma meditation (as that works for me), it is relaxing and refreshing and a great chance to control my thoughts, not banish them.
2. What benefits has Positive Meditation brought to your life?
I feel much more in control, in many ways by letting myself be out of control. I always felt like I had to know the answer, be responsible or just take charge. Now I enjoy looking at situations thinking, for instance, 'if the car breaks down and I don't know how to fix it, I am not a failure, I am allowed not to know this because I am not a mechanic'.
I feel more powerful by letting go of power and realising that I am allowed not to know things, I will make mistakes, I am not perfect, and the person giving me permission for this release is myself (through the tools of Mindfulness Techniques and turnarounds, with the control practice of Meditation).
I was on holiday last week in Weymouth with my wife and we were shopping in a local market, my wife knows I hate shopping and after about 15 minutes of me not saying anything (not ignoring anybody, just not speaking), my wife said "Oh come on lets go, I can see you've had enough!", to which I replied, "I started to feel like I had had enough but now I am quietly working through it, and I am concentrating on being with family, in the sun and not being in work, so I am actually feeling quite good and relaxed".
We shopped for another hour or so and I really didn't feel down or concentrate on being bored. The experience left me feeling good, not only because I had been happy all day, but because I knew that only 3 weeks before my wife would have been absolutely correct and I could have ruined that day for myself and her by letting a long held hatred of 'shopping' ruin a perfectly good day. I questioned myself, looked at the turn rounds and decided that 'Shopping should be enjoyable' actually translated into 'I should be enjoyable' (for myself).
These steps are really encouraging and people around me have noticed a difference, prompting a quote from my Dad of "Have you been drinking?", as I was chilled out and smiling (I had not touched a drop by the way)....
I have been so impressed with the changes I have experienced and find it heartening that people that don't know I have been to see you have also commented on my 'more relaxed' attitude.
Paul Wilson.
Bristol 2012