March 30, 2025 • 16 mins
Send me a text. What spoke to you in this episode?
Feeling overwhelmed by life's nonstop demands? Does your mind race from one thought to the next?
In this episode of Spirituality on the Go, we explore the power of meditation—a simple yet transformative practice that calms the monkey mind, restores inner peace, and deepens your connection with God.
Join me as we dive into the "three-legged stool" method, a practical tool to bring balance to your mind, body, and spirit.
Ready to step out of the chaos and into stillness? Tune in now!
Click this link to download the Free Meditation Practice Jump-Starter:
https://www.findingflowlife.com/meditationjumpstarter
Get into the Divine Flow by purchasing your copy of Finding Flow: Spiritual Practices to Reclaim Inner Peace, Balance, and Wholeness.
Click the link to purchase on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4jDXfla
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Brian Plachta (00:02):
Welcome to Spirituality on the Go, the
podcast where you can experiencesimple, practical tools to put
into your spiritual toolbox soyou can find more inner peace,
connect with God's divinespirit, the divine flow, and
experience purpose and more joyeven in life's busy moments.
(00:28):
Today we're exploring a questionat the heart of the spiritual
journey (00:31):
why meditate?
Let's face it, our minds areconstantly racing.
It's a common problem for all ofus.
Our thoughts tumble over eachother, worries pile up, and our
days are packed with our to-dolists from morning to night.
Even when we find moments ofquiet, our inner dialogue, the
(00:56):
monkey mind rarely stops.
We live in a world that valuesproductivity over presence,
action over stillness.
But this endless motion comes ata cost: mental fatigue, physical
tension and a sense ofdisconnection from our deeper
selves and from God.
(01:18):
We often feel like we're runningon empty searching for peace,
but unable to find it in thenoise and distractions of daily
life.
The solution to this commonproblem that we all experience
is to enter the silence, enterinto a meditation practice.
(01:41):
Meditation invites us to stepout of the rat race cycle, if
only for a few minutes each dayto cultivate stillness.
It's a simple, yet powerfulpractice of being rather than
doing.
It creates an inner sanctuarywhere we can reconnect with
(02:02):
ourselves and God, the divine.
Jesus himself often withdrew toquiet places to pray, to seek
guidance from the Father.
The mystics and sages acrosstraditions, all traditions, long
taught that silence is thegateway to wisdom, healing, and
(02:25):
connection with the divine flow.
By taking time to be still, weallow our minds to settle, our
bodies to relax and our spiritsto open to something greater
than our simple selves.
We move from chaos to clarity,from stress to serenity.
(02:50):
Meditation isn't just aspiritual practice, it's a
holistic approach to wellbeingthat impact, in a healthy way,
our mind, body, and our spirits.
With respect to the mind,meditation reduces stress,
improves our focus andcultivates inner peace.
(03:13):
It rewires the neurons in ourbrain actually increasing the
gray matter in areas of thebrain that are linked to memory,
learning, and regulating ouremotions.
Meditation creates space betweenour thoughts, so we're less
reactive and more present, moreable to respond with love.
(03:37):
In connection with our body,meditation lowers our blood
pressure.
It strengthens our immunesystem.
It releases calming endorphinsfrom the brain that promotes
wellbeing throughout our wholebody.
Meditation improves our sleep.
It reduces inflammation andsupports overall physical health
(03:59):
and wellbeing.
In connection with our spirits,in silence, through meditation,
we create an inner space tolisten to the whisper of the
Holy Spirit, to become aware ofthe divine presence within us
and around us.
(04:20):
We tune into the deep well ofGod's love, wisdom and guidance
that's always available to us.
We just need to be still andlisten.
Meditation deepens ourconnection to God and to our
true selves, allowing us tolisten rather than just speak or
(04:42):
talk in prayer.
There's a number of ways that wecan quiet our minds when we sit
to meditate.
There's a ton of practices wecan use that allow us to train
our minds to be a little quieterduring our meditation practice.
(05:04):
The good news is that our mindscan only think one thought at a
time.
So if we use a spiritual tool toallow our brains to focus on
something, to give us a littlemore concentration, what happens
is the mind sinks into theheart.
(05:26):
And we open our spirits tolisten to the whisper of the
Holy Spirit.
One of my favorite meditationpractices when my monkey mind is
ooking at me is what I call thethree legged stool.
Let's take just a few moments ifyou'd like to experience the
stillness to enter into ameditation using this simple
(05:50):
three-part meditation technique.
You might think of it like athree-legged stool that brings
balance to your mind, body, andspirit.
So take a moment if you could,to find a safe place to sit in
the quiet for a few moments aswe enter into the three-legged
(06:11):
stool method of meditating andquieting our monkey minds.
As we begin find a place to sitcomfortably or lay down whatever
you're most comfortable with.
Take a few deep breaths to justrelax and enter into this
(06:33):
moment.
Perhaps close your eyes andfocus inward on what's going on
inside of you.
Release any tension in yourbody.
And just be here in this presentmoment.
(06:58):
As you sit or lay in this momentof inner peace, bring a gentle
smile to your face.
Just gently turn your lipsupward in a gentle, quiet smile,
(07:21):
and feel the shift in your bodyas your brain releases calming
endorphins as a result of thatsmile, a calming presence that
flows through your body becausethe smile signals to your
nervous system that you're safeand at peace.
(07:45):
So for a moment, just experiencehow a gentle smile releases
those calming endorphins fromyour brain flowing through your
body.
Next, as you sit there with yoursmile, allow yourself to create
(08:10):
a prayer mantra.
Silently repeat a simple phraseto yourself like,"may I be still
or"may I be at peace." Whateverit is you need in this moment,
peace, balance, clarity,patience, just let that virtue
(08:34):
be part of your prayer mantra asyou repeat to yourself softly:
"may I be..." whatever it is youneed in this moment.
Say the words gently in yourmind, letting the words settle
like ripples on a pond.
(08:55):
And if your thoughts wander,which they're often meant to do,
simply return to your prayerbanter.
May I be still.
May I be at peace?
May I experience God's divinelove and embrace whatever it is
you want to offer yourself inthis moment as a loving kindness
(09:20):
mantra, your prayer mantra.
Next shift your awareness toyour body.
If your prayer mantra was, may Ibe still, then whatever it is,
(09:41):
notice what stillness feels likewithin your body.
Or if your prayer mantra was,may I feel God's divine love,
notice whatever it is, whatevervirtue you offered yourself as a
prayer mantra, what does it feellike in your body?
(10:07):
It might be a gentle warmth thatflows throughout your body.
You might sense a feeling ofbeing grounded in your feet, or
it could be a spaciousness inyour chest.
(10:27):
It also might be just a gentleflow of your breath moving in
and through the inside of yourlungs and flowing through your
whole body.
Whatever it is you notice inyour body, just experience the
(10:49):
felt sense of what it feelslike; let that virtue flow in
and through your body here andnow.
(11:10):
As you sit in the quiet, justremember that this stillness you
can come back to it anytime youlike.
Just simply by following thethree steps of the three legged
stool (11:22):
bringing a smile to your face, offering yourself a prayer
mantra, a loving kindness mantraof whatever it is you need in
the moment, and then noticingthe felt sense of whatever
virtue you offered yourselfwithin your body.
(11:48):
When you're ready, I invite youto gently open your eyes
carrying this sense ofstillness, this sense of just
being present to yourself inthis moment, the felt sense
within your body of what youexperienced noticing you can
(12:09):
carry this into the rest of yourday and return to that
experience of stillness as oftenas you need to allow yourself to
pause.
Remember that meditation is ajourney, not a destination.
So here are a few ways that youcan deepen your meditation
(12:30):
practice.
First, start small.
Even five minutes a day can makea difference in your life.
And as time allows and as youfeel moved, gradually increase
your practice each day to aslong as you need to feel
comfortable to feel grounded.
(12:52):
It's helpful if you establish aregular time for each day to sit
in the quiet so that your body,your mind, and your spirit get
used to the fact that this isyour time to enter into the
quiet.
It's also helpful to create asacred space within your home or
whatever it is that's helpfulfor you.
(13:13):
A quiet corner for meditation.
Maybe put a cushion, a candle orsacred objects in that sacred
space to really make it yourprayer space, your quiet corner
in the world.
Also use a guided meditation ifsilence feels overwhelming.
(13:37):
You can listen to this or anumber of other guided
meditations on my YouTube pageto help direct your focus.
You can go to Brian Plachta onmy YouTube page.
If it's helpful, use thethree-legged stool as a way to
center yourself.
(13:59):
You could also focus on yourbreath as a way to quiet the
monkey mind.
Our breath is the spirit of Godthat the Creator blew into your
lungs when you took your firstbreath.
And every breath you take untilyour last one is the Holy Spirit
breathing life in and throughyou.
(14:22):
So in addition to the threelegged stool practice, you can
try focusing on your breath toenhance your meditation, calming
the nervous system, andanchoring you in the present
moment.
Finally, be gentle withyourself.
Some days meditation will beeasier than others.
(14:42):
The goal is not perfection.
There's nowhere to go.
It's just about showing up andbeing present in the quiet
moments, allowing whatever it isthat apears to just be in the
space that you need in thequiet.
(15:07):
In closing, if you already havea meditation practice, I am
encourage you to keep going.
Trust that each moment ofstillness is reshaping you from
the inside out.
If you're new to meditation orhave fallen out of your
practice, you can start freshtoday.
Just take 5 to 20 minutes a dayto transform your mind, body,
and spirit.
(15:28):
To help you begin, I invite youto download my free Meditation
Jumpstarter on my website.
It offers simple tips to createyour own meditation space and
develop a practice that fitsyour life.
The website link is at thebottom of this podcast.
(15:51):
Finally, thanks for joining meon this podcast of Spirituality
on the Go.
Until next time, may you bestill, may you be present, and
may you rest in the divine flowof the Spirit's loving embrace.
(16:13):
Namaste.
Welcome to Spirituality on the Go, the
podcast where you can experiencesimple, practical tools to put
into your spiritual toolbox soyou can find more inner peace,
connect with God's divinespirit, the divine flow, and
experience purpose and more joyeven in life's busy moments.
(00:28):
Today we're exploring a questionat the heart of the spiritual
journey (00:31):
why meditate?
Let's face it, our minds areconstantly racing.
It's a common problem for all ofus.
Our thoughts tumble over eachother, worries pile up, and our
days are packed with our to-dolists from morning to night.
Even when we find moments ofquiet, our inner dialogue, the
(00:56):
monkey mind rarely stops.
We live in a world that valuesproductivity over presence,
action over stillness.
But this endless motion comes ata cost: mental fatigue, physical
tension and a sense ofdisconnection from our deeper
selves and from God.
(01:18):
We often feel like we're runningon empty searching for peace,
but unable to find it in thenoise and distractions of daily
life.
The solution to this commonproblem that we all experience
is to enter the silence, enterinto a meditation practice.
(01:41):
Meditation invites us to stepout of the rat race cycle, if
only for a few minutes each dayto cultivate stillness.
It's a simple, yet powerfulpractice of being rather than
doing.
It creates an inner sanctuarywhere we can reconnect with
(02:02):
ourselves and God, the divine.
Jesus himself often withdrew toquiet places to pray, to seek
guidance from the Father.
The mystics and sages acrosstraditions, all traditions, long
taught that silence is thegateway to wisdom, healing, and
(02:25):
connection with the divine flow.
By taking time to be still, weallow our minds to settle, our
bodies to relax and our spiritsto open to something greater
than our simple selves.
We move from chaos to clarity,from stress to serenity.
(02:50):
Meditation isn't just aspiritual practice, it's a
holistic approach to wellbeingthat impact, in a healthy way,
our mind, body, and our spirits.
With respect to the mind,meditation reduces stress,
improves our focus andcultivates inner peace.
(03:13):
It rewires the neurons in ourbrain actually increasing the
gray matter in areas of thebrain that are linked to memory,
learning, and regulating ouremotions.
Meditation creates space betweenour thoughts, so we're less
reactive and more present, moreable to respond with love.
(03:37):
In connection with our body,meditation lowers our blood
pressure.
It strengthens our immunesystem.
It releases calming endorphinsfrom the brain that promotes
wellbeing throughout our wholebody.
Meditation improves our sleep.
It reduces inflammation andsupports overall physical health
(03:59):
and wellbeing.
In connection with our spirits,in silence, through meditation,
we create an inner space tolisten to the whisper of the
Holy Spirit, to become aware ofthe divine presence within us
and around us.
(04:20):
We tune into the deep well ofGod's love, wisdom and guidance
that's always available to us.
We just need to be still andlisten.
Meditation deepens ourconnection to God and to our
true selves, allowing us tolisten rather than just speak or
(04:42):
talk in prayer.
There's a number of ways that wecan quiet our minds when we sit
to meditate.
There's a ton of practices wecan use that allow us to train
our minds to be a little quieterduring our meditation practice.
(05:04):
The good news is that our mindscan only think one thought at a
time.
So if we use a spiritual tool toallow our brains to focus on
something, to give us a littlemore concentration, what happens
is the mind sinks into theheart.
(05:26):
And we open our spirits tolisten to the whisper of the
Holy Spirit.
One of my favorite meditationpractices when my monkey mind is
ooking at me is what I call thethree legged stool.
Let's take just a few moments ifyou'd like to experience the
stillness to enter into ameditation using this simple
(05:50):
three-part meditation technique.
You might think of it like athree-legged stool that brings
balance to your mind, body, andspirit.
So take a moment if you could,to find a safe place to sit in
the quiet for a few moments aswe enter into the three-legged
(06:11):
stool method of meditating andquieting our monkey minds.
As we begin find a place to sitcomfortably or lay down whatever
you're most comfortable with.
Take a few deep breaths to justrelax and enter into this
(06:33):
moment.
Perhaps close your eyes andfocus inward on what's going on
inside of you.
Release any tension in yourbody.
And just be here in this presentmoment.
(06:58):
As you sit or lay in this momentof inner peace, bring a gentle
smile to your face.
Just gently turn your lipsupward in a gentle, quiet smile,
(07:21):
and feel the shift in your bodyas your brain releases calming
endorphins as a result of thatsmile, a calming presence that
flows through your body becausethe smile signals to your
nervous system that you're safeand at peace.
(07:45):
So for a moment, just experiencehow a gentle smile releases
those calming endorphins fromyour brain flowing through your
body.
Next, as you sit there with yoursmile, allow yourself to create
(08:10):
a prayer mantra.
Silently repeat a simple phraseto yourself like,"may I be still
or"may I be at peace." Whateverit is you need in this moment,
peace, balance, clarity,patience, just let that virtue
(08:34):
be part of your prayer mantra asyou repeat to yourself softly:
"may I be..." whatever it is youneed in this moment.
Say the words gently in yourmind, letting the words settle
like ripples on a pond.
(08:55):
And if your thoughts wander,which they're often meant to do,
simply return to your prayerbanter.
May I be still.
May I be at peace?
May I experience God's divinelove and embrace whatever it is
you want to offer yourself inthis moment as a loving kindness
(09:20):
mantra, your prayer mantra.
Next shift your awareness toyour body.
If your prayer mantra was, may Ibe still, then whatever it is,
(09:41):
notice what stillness feels likewithin your body.
Or if your prayer mantra was,may I feel God's divine love,
notice whatever it is, whatevervirtue you offered yourself as a
prayer mantra, what does it feellike in your body?
(10:07):
It might be a gentle warmth thatflows throughout your body.
You might sense a feeling ofbeing grounded in your feet, or
it could be a spaciousness inyour chest.
(10:27):
It also might be just a gentleflow of your breath moving in
and through the inside of yourlungs and flowing through your
whole body.
Whatever it is you notice inyour body, just experience the
(10:49):
felt sense of what it feelslike; let that virtue flow in
and through your body here andnow.
(11:10):
As you sit in the quiet, justremember that this stillness you
can come back to it anytime youlike.
Just simply by following thethree steps of the three legged
stool (11:22):
bringing a smile to your face, offering yourself a prayer
mantra, a loving kindness mantraof whatever it is you need in
the moment, and then noticingthe felt sense of whatever
virtue you offered yourselfwithin your body.
(11:48):
When you're ready, I invite youto gently open your eyes
carrying this sense ofstillness, this sense of just
being present to yourself inthis moment, the felt sense
within your body of what youexperienced noticing you can
(12:09):
carry this into the rest of yourday and return to that
experience of stillness as oftenas you need to allow yourself to
pause.
Remember that meditation is ajourney, not a destination.
So here are a few ways that youcan deepen your meditation
(12:30):
practice.
First, start small.
Even five minutes a day can makea difference in your life.
And as time allows and as youfeel moved, gradually increase
your practice each day to aslong as you need to feel
comfortable to feel grounded.
(12:52):
It's helpful if you establish aregular time for each day to sit
in the quiet so that your body,your mind, and your spirit get
used to the fact that this isyour time to enter into the
quiet.
It's also helpful to create asacred space within your home or
whatever it is that's helpfulfor you.
(13:13):
A quiet corner for meditation.
Maybe put a cushion, a candle orsacred objects in that sacred
space to really make it yourprayer space, your quiet corner
in the world.
Also use a guided meditation ifsilence feels overwhelming.
(13:37):
You can listen to this or anumber of other guided
meditations on my YouTube pageto help direct your focus.
You can go to Brian Plachta onmy YouTube page.
If it's helpful, use thethree-legged stool as a way to
center yourself.
(13:59):
You could also focus on yourbreath as a way to quiet the
monkey mind.
Our breath is the spirit of Godthat the Creator blew into your
lungs when you took your firstbreath.
And every breath you take untilyour last one is the Holy Spirit
breathing life in and throughyou.
(14:22):
So in addition to the threelegged stool practice, you can
try focusing on your breath toenhance your meditation, calming
the nervous system, andanchoring you in the present
moment.
Finally, be gentle withyourself.
Some days meditation will beeasier than others.
(14:42):
The goal is not perfection.
There's nowhere to go.
It's just about showing up andbeing present in the quiet
moments, allowing whatever it isthat apears to just be in the
space that you need in thequiet.
(15:07):
In closing, if you already havea meditation practice, I am
encourage you to keep going.
Trust that each moment ofstillness is reshaping you from
the inside out.
If you're new to meditation orhave fallen out of your
practice, you can start freshtoday.
Just take 5 to 20 minutes a dayto transform your mind, body,
and spirit.
(15:28):
To help you begin, I invite youto download my free Meditation
Jumpstarter on my website.
It offers simple tips to createyour own meditation space and
develop a practice that fitsyour life.
The website link is at thebottom of this podcast.
(15:51):
Finally, thanks for joining meon this podcast of Spirituality
on the Go.
Until next time, may you bestill, may you be present, and
may you rest in the divine flowof the Spirit's loving embrace.
(16:13):
Namaste.
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