What neither society, nor my parents, nor my friends dared to tell me is that the constant noise is not me! The hullabaloo comes from what most people know as the ego, and that ego does everything possible to ensure that the conscious individual doesn't realize that she is much bigger, beautiful, capable and knowledgeable than she always assumes. After being with a daily meditation practice for a considerable length of time I realized that I had somewhat of a contempt for my own heart - not believing it good enough, not integrating it as a part of me nor seeing it for the jewel it truly is. So I began to give thanks for my own heart and create a relationship with it.
The best way to begin to retrain the mind and transform habits that you have potentially been creating and reinforcing for decades is to place all of your attention on the present moment and accept things exactly as they are. Here follows a practice to begin to be conscious in moments of down time and the more time and attention you dedicate to cultivating these qualities the more the consciousness will seep into your daily life. Begin by setting aside 8-12 minutes every morning or evening to complete this exercise in a relaxed environment without interruptions.
Focus totally on the present moment. Become aware of your body and its energetic quality. Be conscious of your thoughts and emotions – take note of them and then simply let them flow through your body without getting caught. Notice the flow of your breath in and out of the body, a constant exchange with the universe and the surrounding environment. Now feel your heart – place your hand over your heart and feel its beat. Sink into this rhythm and accept yourself exactly as you are in this moment. Consciously say to yourself – this is my experience at this moment and it is perfect just as it is. Give thanks for your heart, feel it full of love, feel how it functions perfectly to carry blood, carry life to your whole body. If hesitations begin to cloud your mind indicating that you don’t have such a great heart or you’re not capable of loving that deeply, simply focus on the heartbeat and know beyond a doubt that your heart contains all the love of the universe, that you are boundlessly capable of giving and receiving love, that when all you want to do is find peace in the chaos surrounding you, all you have to do is listen and in your eternal heartbeat you can always find an infinite fountain of peace and love.
When you’re ready to return to the physical plane, begin to focus once again on your breath. Feel the air against your bare skin, notice the sounds surrounding you. Finally open your eyes with renewed vision.