Mental Expression
Dedication through Mindset
Balance, more than anything, is a frame of mind. To make peace with the universe we must make peace with ourselves.
Contemplation
Contemplation is a silent attentiveness. In this inner prayer, we can still meditate, but our attention is fixed on a singular object, moment, or concept.
It is the thinking before the doing; the weighing of the "pros and cons" of a purchase; the mindful reflection of one's past. It might take a single brief moment, or up to several long moments spread over a lifetime. Each contemplation is its own.
As an example, the singular object may be a Jedi's fæposh. The contemplation may be on its design and assemblance, or it may be on the symbolism of each element thereof. Likewise, the object may be a meditation crystal, with the purpose of contemplating it's resonant effectiveness.
The object musn't even be something one can heft in one's hand. Michelangelo, for example, contemplated the massive chunk of marble for a full month before setting about carving the masterpiece, "David."
A contemplative moment might be something from your past that you wish you had handled differently, and resolving to be better prepared for the next time; an anticipated moment in your future, like a job interview, a public speech, or an important confrontation, that you hope to handle with grace and decorum; or simply, the present -- the "here and now" as it were.
Religion, philosophy, the sciences... these are all concepts worth contemplating. The world's greatest minds dedicated themselves to the concept of contemplation. René Descartes' spent days contemplating his own existence, concluding, [at the very least,] "I think, therefore I am." Isaac Newton spent his months of isolation during the Great Plague of London contemplating mathematics and became one of the fathers of early calculus.
Whatever the object, moment, or concept, it is yours to contemplate as you will. Honor the contemplation, and the time spent doing so.
Manifestation
COMING SOON
...
Meditation
The English word meditation comes from the Latin word meditārī, which has a range of meanings including to reflect on, to study, and to practice. It is the process of deliberately focusing on specific thoughts and reflecting on their meaning.
Meditation balances the physical self with the spiritual self by attuning one's focus to one or the other. These are known as Devotional Meditation (physical) and Transcendental Meditation (spirit). In Jediism, each style of meditation is deemed equally valuable and worthy of practice.
Devotional Meditation reflects on and engages thought, imagination, and desire. It consists of two operations:
The first belongs to the thinking faculty which applies the imagination, memory, and understanding, to consider some truth or mystery. The second is dependent on the will and compels one to love, desire, and seek for the good proposed by the mind, then make resolutions to arrive at it.
Transcendental Meditation suggests approaches to disengage the mind in an effort to elevate the innate aspects of our own true nature to a state of enlightenment.
As one begins their study in the art of meditation, they'll find a lot of overlap between the two styles. However, the mindful practitioner will learn to distinguish (or guide) one from the other.
For a more detailed list of meditation techniques, we might turn to Headspace.com, which offers many of the following:
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Focused Attention. Uses the object of any of the five senses (most often our breath) to focus attention, to anchor the mind, and maintain awareness. Notice your mind starting to wander? Simply return to the breath.
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Body Scan. Designed to sync body and mind by performing a mental scan, bringing attention to any discomfort, sensations, tensions, or aches that exist.
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Progressive Relaxation. Very similar to the Body Scan technique, this offers a couple different techniques:
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A) Slowly, mindfully tighten and relax one muscle group at a time throughout the body.
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B) Imagine a gentle wave flowing through each part of your body, allowing each to ease into relaxation.
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Noting / Mindfulness. This technique involves specifically "noting" what's distracting the mind, creating a space for it in order to learn more about our thought patterns, tendencies, and conditioning, as a way of letting go before returning back to our object of focus. You do not judge the thoughts, or become involved with them; you acknowledge and release.
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Visualization. A label that represents more than one technique.
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A) Vividly picture someone or something in your mind. Focus on how the object is portrayed by the mind, as well as any associated physical sensations. To the best of your ability, utilize all five senses to add as much detail as possible.
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B) Embody the qualities of your chosen object. Consider each desirable trait and align them with your self – how you are; how you wish to be. This may be another human, an animal, a tree or mountain, or a work of art.
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C) Imagine yourself succeeding at a specific goal.
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Spiritual. Practiced in nearly all religions and spiritual traditions, it may be practiced as a form of prayer, quiet contemplation, Focused Attention (prayer beads), etc, but the core intent is to focus on developing a deeper understanding of spiritual meaning, and connection with a higher power or spiritual force.
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Loving Kindness. Often practiced as an added layer to the Visualization technique, this involves focusing on the image of a person or people – whether we know them or not; whether we like them or not – and directing positive energy and goodwill, first to ourselves, then to them, which helps us let go of unhappy feelings we may be experiencing.
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Skillful Compassion. Similar to the Loving Kindness technique, this involves focusing on a person you know or love and on the sensations arising from the heart, then fostering those feelings on yourself for a feeling of peace and happiness.
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Resting Awareness. Allowing the mind to truly rest; thoughts may enter, but unlike the Noting technique, we allow the thought to simply drift away.
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Reflection. This technique invites you to ask yourself a question (in second person, to discourage the intellectual mind from trying to answer it rationally). Be aware of the feelings (not the thoughts) that arise when you focus on the question.
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Zen Meditation. Sitting upright, follow the breath as it moves in and out of the body. Let the mind "just be." Its aim is to foster a sense of presence and alertness.
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Mantra Meditation. Similar to the Focused Attention technique, the focus is on a syllable, word, or phrase, and the natural vibrations it causes in the body, rather than a breath.
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Transcendental Meditation. A twice-daily, 20-minute guided meditation. Visit the Maharishi Foundation's website for more.
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Yoga Meditation. A technique that occurs in tandem with any number of singular yogic poses, allowing the body to relax and relieve tension, especially the Shavasana or "corpse" pose.
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Gentle Movement Meditation. In contrast to the yogic poses, this technique invites you to focus on the fluidity of movement involving and between Forms. It may be through gentle forms such as yoga, tai chi, qi gong, or it may simply be through the mindful acts of walking or gardening.
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Vipassana Meditation. An existential technique that invites you to intensely contemplate the true nature of reality via one or more of several key areas of human existence: suffering, unsatisfactoriness, impermanence, non-self, and emptiness.
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Chakra Meditation. Opens, aligns, and balances each of the body's core centers of energy.
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Qigong Meditation. Involves harnessing energy in the body by allowing energy pathways – called "meridians" – to be open and fluid.
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Sound Bath Meditation. A type of Focused Attention that specifically utilizes the sense of sound, using bowls, gongs, and/or other instruments to create sound / vibrations meant to help focus the mind and bring it into a more relaxed state.
Other
Note that ALL Expressions are optional / NONE of them are expected – let alone required – for anyone to be considered a Jedi. Practitioners are encouraged to contemplate what helps them to feel one with the Force.
Here are some additional considerations of Mental Expressions that we found worth mentioning.
Our mental health is just as important as our physical health; potentially even more so. Mental health care has been saddled with unnecessary stigmas that have undermined many efforts to find peace and happiness. We, as a Jedi Order, are of the mind that mental health care should be treated just as seriously as any other form of health care, be it bi-annual dental checkups with your dentist, or annual check-ups with your general practitioner or family doctor.
Regular checkups with a licensed therapist can help keep your mind and spirits in prime condition and help you keep daily struggles and life-altering traumas, alike, in scope. Furthermore, as urgent care arises, prompt and effective care should be taken in order to promote a quick recovery.
Additionally, isolation is strongly discouraged. We are not limited to our sparse Jedi community; friendships, wherein we can talk and share in each other's needs and emotions, will always play a significant role in our mental health. Get out and socialize, and make some genuine, face-to-face connections with your peers.