As you meditate, focus your thoughts on the things that inspire you. It could be articles or books you've read, people you admire, or something completely random. Whatever it is, think about why it inspires you and see if it sparks some creativity. So why don't you experiment with what you focus on? Here are 20 ideas for things to try.
See which ones create the most powerful experience for you. This is perhaps the most common type of meditation. Focus your attention on your breath and simply return it to your breath every time your mind wanders. Instead of focusing on something specific externally, simply focus your attention on being in the present moment.
Experience what's happening right now, moment by moment. What do you feel? What are the layers and subtleties of these emotions? Trace an emotion to its cause. What triggered that emotion? Are there unconscious emotional triggers at play? Don't blame yourself for anything, just watch your emotional triggers with compassion and curiosity. Focus on your own sense of compassion.
About your care and love for others around you. Allow this sensation to grow and expand. Bring to mind a person who has done it wrong, or who you perceive has done it wrong. Allow yourself to feel and experience all the emotions associated with that experience, and then let them go slowly.
Explore what their core values are. What really matters to you? What do you defend? How are these core values present at this time? How inspired do you feel right now, in the present moment? Explore the complexities of what makes you feel inspired or why you don't feel inspired. Becoming aware of the pain of those around you can be a powerful way to develop more compassion. Think about the people around you who are suffering, those you know personally, or the people you see suffering that you don't know personally (such as homeless people in your city).
Let in their suffering and respond with love and compassion. This meditation is useful when there is a conversation in which the mind is stuck. First, allow yourself to think about that conversation for a few moments. Then return your attention to the present.
Now pay attention to the thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations that arise. This can help to dispel any lingering feelings related to that conversation. In meditation, your goal doesn't have to be not to think. Instead, a more practical goal is to witness and observe your thoughts, and specifically, to do so without a strong emotional burden.
