Meditation : The Heart of the Rose for Mind Clearing

This beautiful technique is something I love to do in the park after a walk. One that I love doing with my child as well. So Simple but when you try it a few times you see its brilliance lies in its simplicity. 

Here are some other techniques you might like to try as well 

• The 5 minute Mind-Body Scan 
• Compassionate Meditation Technique 
• Zazen Meditation for the Wandering Mind 
• Shikantaza Meditation - for seasoned Zen Practitioners
• Observing your Inner Voice 
• The Practise of Letting Go 
• RAIN Practice to deal with difficult emotions

The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari Techniques: The Heart of the Rose

John asks for practical techniques that he can use, so Julian teaches him a meditation technique called the Heart of the Rose. This can be done with nothing but a rose and a quiet space.

Take your rose and stare at the center of the flower. Think of nothing but the rose. Notice its color, shape, scent, and even its texture. Other thoughts will intrude at first. Accept them, and return your attention to the rose. With practice, those intrusive thoughts will lessen and eventually stop as your mind gets stronger and more controlled. It’s a simple exercise, but it has to be done every single day to be effective. 

At first, it may be difficult to spend even five minutes staring at a rose. Many people think they have no time to stare at a flower, but they’re the ones who need it most. Saying you have no time to stop working and meditate is like saying you have no time to stop driving and get gas. 

Try the Heart of the Rose

All of the skills and lessons Julian learned begin with a clear mind. The Heart of the Rose is a simple mind-clearing exercise that anyone can do. 

• Find a nearby object—it doesn’t matter what—and pick it up. Take five minutes to sit quietly and concentrate on that object. Observe everything about it: shape, color, texture, even scent. Don’t try to fight against intruding thoughts. Instead, acknowledge and then dismiss them. At the end of the five minutes, write down how you feel.
• How often did you find your thoughts drifting from your chosen object?
• What sorts of thoughts commonly distracted you?
• Next time you practice the Heart of the Rose, what will you do when intruding thoughts break your focus?

Focus on the flower

This is a technique used by monks and is highly effective in developing the ability to focus the mind on a singular thought. 

Why do we need it ?

The mind is like any other muscle. It can be trained. 

This technique helps us train our mind to focus and not be distracted. 

Why is it useful ? 

Once mastered it helps with general focus but also in stressful situations or when our mind wanders to negative thoughts.
It allows us to refocus on what is needed and tune out the distractions.
This is step 1. Once we have got this we will do step 2 which is a concept called - opposition thinking. 

How to get our mind to switch from the negative to the positive. 

Now for this technique you need
1. 10 mins
2. A timer / stop watch 

3. 10 mins where no one will disturb you 
4. A flower ! Yep ideally a real one or any real object

What you need to do

Set a timer for 10 mins. 

Let’s assume you’re using a flower. 

Take your flower and stare at the center of the flower. Think of nothing but the flower. 

Notice its colour, shape, scent, and even it’s texture. 

Other thoughts will intrude at first. 

Accept them, and return your attention to the flower. 

With practice, those intrusive thoughts will lessen and eventually stop as your mind gets stronger and more controlled. 

It’s a simple exercise, but it has to be done every single day to be effective. 

At first, it may be difficult to spend even five minutes staring at a flower. 

Many people think they have no time to stare at a flower, but they’re the ones who need it most. 

Saying you have no time to stop working and meditate is like saying you have no time to stop driving and get gas. 

The purpose

This is a simple mind-clearing exercise

• Find a nearby object—it doesn’t matter what—and pick it up. Take 10 minutes to sit quietly and concentrate on that object. Observe everything about it: shape, color, texture, even scent. Don’t try to fight against intruding thoughts. Instead, acknowledge and then dismiss them. 
• At the end of the 10 minutes, *write down how you feel.*
• How often did you find your thoughts drifting from your chosen object?
• What sorts of thoughts commonly distracted you?
• Next time you practice the Focus on the Flower, what will you do when intruding thoughts break your focus?