Mission Mater's Magazine - Flipbook - Page 31
n n p w t ours v s
t s r stm s
FFinding
i di g peace
eace with
i h ourselves
el e
this
hi C
Christmas
hi
a
Being in 8the now9 has never been more important for this
Christmas. Rajnandini Paula Flood advises us how we may all
achieve it
1. You have a wonderful
meditation name Paula - tell us a
little about this please?
The name 8Rajnandini,9 given to me by
my teacher, Sri Chinmoy, symbolises
noble qualities such as sweetness, love,
oneness with and acceptance of all
souls. I wish I could say that9s me to a
tee, it9s not
Yes and no. It can come from a mind
focused on a particular object, a candle
flame, the breath, a sound. From arises
the spacious experience of stillness.
That is meditation!
2. To the completely uninitiated,
how would you describe
'meditation' - as you practice it?
Meditation is simple and natural. It9s a
moment of awareness, a moment where
you switch from thinking to 8being9.
Being still, you can come into your
heart and rest your attention there,
following the breath.
4. How might Mater employees
engage with this practice to make
the season better for them - at
home firstly and then at work?
Make a commitment to set aside even
three minutes each morning and/or
each evening to be still and follow your
breath. From that formal 8stillness9
time, build a little more slowness and
stillness into your day. You could eat
more slowly, drive more slowly, tune
into nature and pay attention to your
breath.
3. What do you think is the most
misunderstood idea that people
may have about meditation?
Two things. Firstly, there is an idea that
you have to be still to meditate. Yet
anything you do with a full heart and
steady mind could be called meditation.
Secondly, there is a belief that you have
to still the mind in order to meditate.
5. What can meditation do for all
of us that will make this Christmas
and after, much calmer?
When one is calm inside, one spreads a
peaceful vibration. Jesus was the Prince
of Peace. Christmas is the perfect time
to meditate so that we might glimpse
the 8gift of peace that surpasses human
understanding9 (John 14:27).
Well-Being
6. Finally, your Christmas message
to Mater employees?
I would like to gift this quote from Sri
Chinmoy on Christmas to everyone.
8Christmas reveals to us a limitless
ocean of universal joy….This is the day
of eternal bliss, from which the past,
present and future derive much
significance of existence.9
Rajnandini Paula Flood is a Senior
Yoga Instructor and meditation
specialist @ OmYoga.ie
Page 3 1
