Self mastery

I'm going to begin by saying I am very jaded when it comes to all things meditative. My typically optimistic self gives way to the skeptic. I proceed with caution. Over the last few years I have opened up a bit, but I still wonder what all the fuss is about. You know?

Well, with all the clear signs before me and with my meditation teacher (leader? facilitator? not sure what to call her) giving us "homework" to practice this daily, I had a strong urge to give it a go this morning. So I went into my brand new (accidental) CD meditation library and selected one given to me by Sofia, a life coach in Sweden who I met a few weeks ago. It is called Mantra Miracles by Di Leva.

Lo and behold, I had quite an experience. The mantras were lively and soothing all at once, but they were merely backdrop. I went somewhere.

But first I read the 33rd verse of the Tao Te Ching, which Wayne Dyer calls "Living Self-Mastery." I did this by randomly opening his book to see where it would take me. You can see it here: http://www.taoteching.org/chapters/33.htm.

"A Tao-oriented life focuses on understanding yourself, rather than on the thinking and behaviors of others," Dyer writes.

Layers and layers of the same message, methinks.