Whenever someone said to me in the past “why don’t you meditate on that?” I never really. understood what they meant until I discovered contemplation meditation. 

Simply put, contemplation meditation is the act of regarding something steadily or considering with attention. The object of your meditation, may be an item like a candle, piece of fruit, scenery, a concept like peace or love, or even a poem or prayer. 

Deepak Chopra pioneered a one specific form of contemplative meditation in you ask yourself a series of questions – Who am I? What do I want? What is my purpose? With each question, ask and see what answers come up, sitting with them without judgement until eventually you reach the silence where you pause for a while before moving on to the next question.

I do love Chopra’s method, but today I chose to contemplate a pebble. This is an exercise we did during my meditation teacher training and while the technique is simple, it brought me so much joy. If you don’t want to work with a pebble for whatever reason, this is absolutely fine. Choose something else you are drawn to, but make it an item you can easily hold in your hand for this particular exercise. 

Start by holding your pebble in your hand and sit with your eyes closed. Focus your attention on the feeling of the pebble in your hand. How heavy is it? What is its texture? Run your finger or thumb over its surface and explore how that feels.

Now use each of your senses in turn to examine the pebble. Tap it against the floor, your shoe, or a hard surface and listen intently to the sound. Does the sound change depending on what you tap it against? Is it loud or soft? 

Hold it in front of your nose and inhale. Does it have a scent? Does the scent evoke a particular memory or thought?

Imagine how your pebble might taste. (I don’t recommend actually putting it in your mouth!) How would you describe that taste?

Finally, open your eyes and look at your pebble, really look at it. How does it change as you move it about in the light? Does it cast a shadow? Are there any patterns or marks on it? 

When you are ready, put your pebble aside and go about your day. 

I love working with my pebble. I still have the same one which was given to me in the course, so when I contemplate it, it always brings a smile to my face because it was such a joyous experience to first encounter it. It conjures up feelings of being at the beach, my happy place. When I first met my pebble it felt like I’d found a friend, so I was very pleased when we were allowed to keep our stone! I still discover new things about my pebble when I work with it. For me, it’s a reminder that everything is infinite yet connected, that no matter how deep you go into a meditation, there’s still more to explore. 

I’d love to hear how you get on with your contemplation. Did you use a pebble or did you choose something else? Tell me all about it in the comments.