What is meditation?

Google says: med·i·tate
ˈmedəˌtāt/
verb
gerund or present participle: meditating
think deeply or focus one's mind for a period of time, in silence or with the aid of chanting, for religious or spiritual purposes or as a method of relaxation.
think deeply or carefully about (something).
"he went off to meditate on the new idea"
synonyms: contemplate, think, consider, ponder, muse, reflect, deliberate, ruminate, chew the cud, brood, mull something over; More
plan mentally; consider.
"they had suffered severely, and they began to meditate retreat"

Peej's definition of meditation is disconnecting from it all and going to a quiet, peaceful state or space resulting in calmness, less stress, and peace and zenful moments.
I always say pretend like your an appliance. Even though you're not toasting bread that doesn't mean you're not drawing a electrical current.  Ask PG&E they will confirm, even when an appliances is not on, it still draws electricity. That's why they say unplug your appliances when you're not using them.  So I always say to my clients,  "Unplug your cord from the wall."  
As human, we are trained or maybe brainwashed to connect, and that connection is good, but not that connection is good and that we need to disconnect too.  There has to be balance... and that means we need to disconnect the cord and shut down, and mediate. 
This is especially important when we are dealing with stressful situations, divorce, moving, relationship issues, family drama, etc. Our minds tell us to solve, think, analyze, talk about, go over and over, or worry about things uncontrollably, but this is when it is so important to disconnect, unplug and meditate.  It's like a cool off period.  Disconnect, mediate then process. Once you train your brain to disconnect and quiet, then we get answers, guidance, or messages without any effort.  Because when I drop down, I actually hear Spirit and this is how I read most people I hear my Spirit Guides or your Loved Ones talk.  
Meditation is dropping down into that space where you are relaxed and open.  When we sleep sometimes we achieve this state, but most times we have all this activity going on in our minds while we sleep, called dreams.  Haven't you ever woke up and all of the sudden things that were troubling you just become so clear, and you know the answer or the right thing to do?  That's because you allowed your mind to disconnect. 
And no you can't just sleep and chalk it up as disconnecting!  Sorry Charlie!

So many people suffer from hypertension or anxiety.   This world would be such a better, peaceful place if everyone took one, just one ten-minute mediation break twice a day.  I would even settle for one a day.  Imagine the effect that would have on road ragers.  I'm pretty sure it would lower the occurrences if people learned how to disconnect and find that disconnecting exercise that worked for them.
Knowledge is the first step.  Knowing that something needs to change and then learning how to change it, then actually applying what you've learned is the tricky part.  That's why I always say do it in the shower, do it when you wake up or go to bed.  Or take a class that you have to go to every night at 7pm.  Implementing it into your routine is the most important key, routine, because I've learned to have peace and that quiet time, meditation or disconnecting is crucial to my spiritual health. 

Over the years I've learned that my definition of meditation is different from others, so here are a few, not all, but a few variations of meditation or disconnecting that will help your mind body and soul.  You may need to try one or several of them to know which ones work for you, and that's simple just do a mind, body, spirit check-in before and after you try one of my suggestions, and then see how it affected you.  How do you feel after? If you don't feel good, calm or relaxed maybe you'll need to try the next one on the list.

I have the gift of creation so for me any type of art work where I am in deep, concentration or designing or creating things, like making jewelry, sewing, painting, if it be a wall or a picture, or pencil drawing.  This is a great way for me to disconnect from it all and then I have some beautiful creations. 
Last night I was home alone and I took a few of my grandmother's recipes out and made meat boats and today I'm making goodidoonie.  "Cooking"- this falls under meditation for me.  Making jams & jellies also works very well for my soul.  This year has been a little more stressful than other years so I must have made twenty-five batches of jelly, where usually I make, maybe ten.  It has also been a very odd year for me so making jelly really helps me plus everyone rants and raves at how yummy it is, so that makes me feel good, it does something to my mind and soul. Disconnect "equals" Peej feels good.

For some people yoga is great!  I always say yoga got me through college.  College was very stressful for me, being a single only parent, with health problems, a struggling starving student that I was (haha) I think one of the college counselors suggested I take a yoga class on campus.  So I did and after that I always made sure I had a yoga class, two days a week.  It was easy to disconnect, and stay on track with my overwhelmed crazy busy schedule because it was scheduled, I had to be there rain or shine. Yoga really helped my mind, body, and soul. I always say yoga is like hitting three birds with one stone.  I know that's an old saying, but you get the idea- it works good haha! 
Now-a-days I buy a month of yoga deal on Groupon and then I procrastinate and never use it, but I go to Zumba.  Which is another amazing way of disconnecting. 
Dance lessons.  We all like to move or shake our booties.  I try to learn the routine by following the instructor. If it be learning how to two-step or a Zumba class, forces me to be in the moment, and disconnect from reality, even if it is for just an hour!  Trying to keep up and learn the routine makes me crazy and laugh at the same time, but then after that class, I feel great! 
Some endorphins were released.  And dancing has always done something to my soul, even if I'm watching another do it.

Singing in the shower- You could set time aside to listen to some of your favorite song and just be in the moment, feeling that beat and sing away your little heart.  I don't care if you're at work and you have to take a ten minute break, go out and sit in your car, close your eyes (very important piece to the puzzle) and blast your favorite music and sing.   It would only take three songs.  Do you think you could do that?  You see that's disconnecting and good for your soul- and it takes under ten minutes and could be done anywhere.

Playing an instrument-  also another great disconnection.   A very important person in my life plays the drums and that is how he connects with his gift, but at the same time it's disconnection from the rigmarole of life and routine.  When you play music you're in a different space. When you write a song you're in a different space also.  You're in the music, the beat.

Fishing, praying, chanting, 
Sitting on the beach- I always say taking a few deep breathes while watching the waves, birds, and the people around you, then closing your eyes for a few minutes and listening to the waves, birds and sounds of the people around you, then again open your eyes for a few minutes and admire the beauty, the sky, the ocean and it's movement of the crashing waves, but notice the stillness for miles out, and then closing your eyes.....Back and forth for about ten or twelve minutes is all it takes.  Just the sand and the ocean already does something to my soul.

Guided meditations are great!  I have a few that I wrote and recorded that help a lot of people learn how to get yourself to that relaxed state on YouTube, subscribe to my channel "Medium Peej"  listen to one a day and see how you feel after.  If you feel calm, clear and relaxed maybe guided meditation is one of your ways of disconnecting, because we may have more that one and it may work for years and then you may need to switch it up.

Running, skating, working out-  Most people have their Ipods on while at the gym.  That's a great way of disconnecting from the people around you. Can they talk to you while you're at the gym?  Nope!  Because they can see your ears are plugged with some awesome tunes and you're in your own world.

Let me know how these go for you, or if you have any other suggestions that may help others disconnect, because I'm always open to learning something new everyday!

You could read my other meditation blogs to get some other ideas too! 
Thank you for listening.  I am sending you love & light.

Today was my late day I was supposed to be able to sleep one hour longer, but this didn't happen because my grandmother decided to wake me up with chitter chatter in my ear about things that need to be done, changes that need to be made, how to do them and when.    It's all kinds of good information but to early in the morning though!  When she was alive I remember she would love to wake me up.  I would drive to Sacramento to visit her on my days off and I wanted to sleep in. I mean why couldn't I do the two birds with one stone and visit her on my day off and sleep in?  But no she had different idea for me.  She was an early bird so she'd be in the kitchen slamming cupboards and making all kinds of noise.  I knew it was intentional to wake me up I used to lay there and feel so irritated and one time I was almost in tears, so one time I said something to her, and when I speak of this now, I want to laugh, because she would never hesitate to do what she wanted or thought was right.   My grandparents were one of a kind.  She would push her way to the front and my Grandfather would say whatever was on his mind, he didn't care if he hurt your feelings or what other's thought.  He was what some would consider rude because he was very out spoken, stubborn and would get aggressive at times.  But my Grandmother was just a little pushy.  She would always tell me he that my grumpy Grandfather liked me and I knew he didn't.  He was mean.  He was a horse in the Chinese astrology and I'm a monkey, is what my cousin says...now it all makes sense to me why he didn't take a liking to me.  It's a Chinese Astrology thing!  Lol
Anyways back to my Grandmother she is a very funny woman she'd wake me up when I would visit her by making noise and slamming things and she would always say when I visited that I'd have plenty of time to sleep when I was dead.  That was her philosophy, and now she is showing me from the other side so she decided to wake me up early and she does that quite often and we had to have a little talk this morning so I'm hoping that doesn't happen anymore, but she does give me some good advice and ideas where to make some changes. And she let me know she loves me and guides me and that it's pretty amazing that I can hear see and feel Loved Ones that have crossed over to the other side. 
I am very thankful to have a direct connection to Spirit, and my Guides especially thankful that my grandmother has chose me, to be one of my amazing spiritual Guide and connections. 
I was feeling irritated, but I chose to feel blessed and thankful. 
Do you have a connection to Spirit?  
Do you ever wake up and just have no idea why?   Prior to my Spiritual Path or awareness I moved nine times in ten years.  I always thought it was the loud neighbors or the dog barking or the busy noisey....  It was Spirit!
You may hear Spirit and not understand.  Maybe you're a Medium too!