TopHats Meditation

So I want to put out my form of meditation. This form as a dying style and is not popular by many but I find peace with it. It's a feeling of contentment. In addition, I use this to contemplate the difficult questions that I have or situations that I have to question "Did I handle that situation correctly?". The method I have found that works for me is pipe smoking. Now, I know what many of you think "Yuck!" or some other concerning message. But I have to say it is meditative for me. I do this the same way my Native American ancestors do. Sometimes I do it alone for the meditation or as a group with friends. This I have found not only gives you peace of your own thoughts but you are there with friends as well or similar minded people. I challenge folks to try a group meditation as it evokes comfort, post discussion among the group, and many other benefits.

PM me if you care to talk, Thank you!

Okay so continuing on with my meditation journal. I have discovered that my Native American ancestors used this as a form of meditation. They used this to seek knowledge by conversing with one another learning of thoughts. While one of the elders who knew many things would converse his messages the others would smoke and be in deep thought about what the speaker had to say this lasted for many hours sometimes almost all day depending on the topic that was brought up. In addition, lessons about their culture was brought up while they smoked to keeping in deep thought they would eventually ask questions about anything they were curious about.

Also, I have learned that they would also smoke alone to ponder their thoughts when they did not understand something even after they had something explained to them. I thought how amazing that something I picked up on is something my ancestor did yet I had no Idea prior to last week. I thought wow what an amazing feeling knowing that I am carrying on a dying form of meditation that my ancestors use to do.

I currently use this method more than any others and for multiple different reasons. Whether it be for pondering, clearing my mind, or learning. I find what I need and become enlightened and content.

I'm back again with more insight to those who are curious. I am in no way wanting to get anyone interested in this but more or less to understand why I consider this my form of meditation. This for is not considered the healthiest form but I have done my research and have read dozens of articles that suggest that a pipe smoke lives longer I'm not sure how that is but from people who do more lab time than I ever intend to I'll take them at their word.

Now, onto the meat and potatoes of what I was wanting to get at. People whom I have spoken with seem to lump all the forms of smoking together. This is something I will say that is incorrect smoking pipe and cigars are a slow smoke and require you to slow down and to not inhale like the cigarettes that many people see today. The cigarettes have many additives in them to increase the nicotine intake and the rate of how fast it is to smoke one. Cigars and pipes are slow due to there being no extra additives or anything else other than what soil the plant was planted in and how it is dried out.

Pipes and cigars do not require inhaling like the cigarettes do. Individuals that I've smoked pipe around say that it is quite pleasant and they can tell the difference. I know this isn't much of a healthy way but it is what works for me and I wanted to get some facts and knowledge that I have from experience (also Native Americans have done it for years and they lived quite a long time themselves). The idea behind pipes and cigars as a meditation purpose is to get you to slow down if you smoke to quick then you will get sick from it same as if you were to intake too much caffeine.

So, if you are one to take up on this I suggest you take it slow no rush so that you can meditate. I will have another form of meditation/stress relieving down the road. Meditation is a form of relieving your mind from stress and worldly things, think about being calm, and letting go of expectations that others will have of you. You need to be content with what is and what will be.

Coming back from a few days of meditating under a waterfall (no pipe) I found that the cold water has helped my mind focus on my breathing patterns as well as my form. The cold water also feels like some of the situations I face daily. At first, it's harsh, difficult to deal with, your body and mind are not use to this. Eventually, the coldness of the water is no longer affecting you and now you begin to focus on your meditation and move forward. Many times I've noticed that at first when I run into an issue. I think to myself "man I don't wanna deal with this" or "it's too hard" but the real truth is we as Jedi are faced with many challenges many obstacles. We have a choice to make. Do we let the pressure get to us or do we let the Force guide us and stay strong proud warriors with our faith?

Decisions that we make are not always simple and easy but if we train ourselves we can learn to overcome many obstacles. Remembering as well we are not alone in our journey we have family, friends, and our loved ones to help us. If there is any enlightenment I have received within that waterfall is that I am a stronger Jedi than I give myself credit for. Train yourself in everyway possible that way you are more prepared for the challenges that you face and you can seize the day and make it your own.

One of the things I found I love most about meditation is that it is your time to relax and focus. You have no distractions, just peace. Many folks I see on a daily basis do not take time to focus on their spirituality these days. They just work, work, and (you guessed it) work. Taking time for your mental, physical, and spiritual well being should be a top priority as we are given a body to maintain. Which is a responsibility we are given when are brought into this world. If we do not take care of ourselves we can function properly. Before coming to terms with this I was struggling so much in my life. I would focus so much on what I wanted to do but not what my body, mind, and soul needed.

You only get one body to look after and it should be simple enough to maintain it right? I had to ponder why we struggle so much to focus on what we want but not on what we need. In a typical day we do some things that we need but that is only to minimally function. While that may work for some it does not work for me. My aim is to focus on the 4 pillars of my life that help keep me in top shape. The Mental, Physical, Spiritual, and Social aspects are my pillars and if any one of them begin falter then I will begin to not be at the top of my game which is where I should be. I advise others to take the time into looking at their life and think to themselves "Am I lacking in any of these?" I always ask myself these questions at the end of the day after my daily meditation(s).