Mercedes Ozuna on Acem Meditation
If I hadn’t meditated, I wouldn’t have had the necessary self-confidence, but last autumn I applied for a promotion at work. I didn’t have the courage to do such things before, but have developed more trust in myself.
There was a huge shift after my promotion was approved and I got a completely new role at work. I had many long days at work during the first months, often also working some weekends. On top of this, I broke my leg – and then I needed to meditate more. When the level of stress increases, I need to prioritize meditation, although it feels like I don’t have time. I know how important it is.
My life had been completely governed by stress. I couldn’t relax, and thoughts were constantly turning around in my head. My sleep was poor, and I had to find a way to calm down. I obtain much better rest with meditation than with sleep, and my brain has some time off.
Let me try
Friends had tried to convince me about the good effects of meditation a long time before I wanted to learn. But I had read books about the necessity of getting rid of thoughts, and knew this wasn’t within reach for me. I hesitated – until 2011, and then made up my mind: enough waiting – let me try.
I didn’t expect such a difference
My first meditation was like magic. I didn’t believe it could make such a difference, and that I could feel such well-being. With two meditations per day I now feel more in touch with myself. Meditation helps me remain mentally healthy and stimulates my creative side.
Although I have had sleep problems since my childhood, I slept through the night after just a month of meditation. Several negative things have changed, and I can handle difficult situations in a better way. I enjoy that solutions to problems may show up both in meditation and after. It feels like Acem Meditation saved my life. I don’t want to exaggerate, but that is how it feels. It is my personal experience that meditation contributes to the positive changes in my life.
Stress release is a great thing
Everybody tells me I have changed. I used to get angry quite often – intensely so, but it happens more rarely now, so it is obviously modified. Some kind of a buffer has developed between my immediate reaction to something and my subsequent action. If I get angry now, it isn’t as intense as it used to be; it simply doesn’t become a big thing any longer. I have become more empathic, and this may have softened my temper.
Everything at a high speed
After only a couple of weeks I proceeded to the follow-up course – maybe a bit too quickly. But I learned something important about meditation, and knew what to expect when meditating on my own. Resistance may come, and actualization is part of the process. In New York, we offer follow-up courses regularly – it helps meditators to continue their daily practice, how to arrange time for meditation, and how to make use of guidance.
Mercedes Ozuna works at the Project Management Office, Metropolitan Transport Authority, the main office for public transport in New York. Her department is in charge of running the most important parts of the organization.
For me, the high speed continued: a year after I started to meditate, I underwent the training to become an Acem moderator. In this role, I have to stretch myself a bit. I have been the moderator for many follow-up courses. I like the Acem organization; it has something to do with the ethical side. Otherwise, I would have disappeared quickly.
Recently, I was in Oslo, Norway, for the training to become an assistant instructor. I like to teach others about meditation. For me, it’s a gift to be part of it, to see that others get what they need, and the benefits they get from meditation. In New York, I meet many who want to learn Acem Meditation after practicing various techniques. They appreciate that our technique is simple.
Out of the fog
At the communication course, we went into levels beyond the frame of everyday communication. I haven’t experienced anything of the same intensity or such a depth. My awareness of my own communication was increased. While we see surprisingly little of our personal patterns of communication ourselves, others quickly notice our hidden signals. The training in interpersonal communication is both a challenge in that it takes us beyond our comfort zone, and a secure and sheltered way to explore and learn.
At first, we didn’t see what was going on in the interaction between members of my group. However, the group dynamics made me aware of the interaction. As I learned to see more of what took place in the group interaction, I was able to comment on what I saw. I came out of the fog and started to see blind spots and discover new things – until the course ended. I could bring a very interesting and useful experience back to New York.
Spoken by Mercedes Ozuna
Written by Anne Grete Hersoug
Copy-editor: Ann Kunish
Use anything that happen as bell of mindfulness,that is meditation..gedeprama|bellofpeace.org