“Meditation is not a way of making your mind quiet. It’s a way of entering into the quiet that’s already there – buried under the 50,000 thoughts the average person thinks everyday.”
… Deepak Chopra
The beauty of meditation is not so much, why, when, and how. What I do believe is, it can be a source of empowerment and self awareness. Let me explain. I see and hear to many times people ‘over think’ the simplicity and power meditation can have in your life. You should not feel in competition, confined, rushed, pressured or judged with anyone else. There is no right or wrong way to meditate, that’s the beauty of it; to each it’s own.
Meditation involves the silencing of our minds. It is not an intellectual activity, but a tool to consciously relax our mind to achieve a place of inner peace. At first the concept of meditation can be a little intimidating, you may question the act. Your thoughts may range from, you want me to what? I’m to feel and experience what? How long do I do this for? Do I keep my eyes closed? And, is it over yet? Believe me, if you have these thoughts, you’re not the only one.
The difficulty of controlling your thoughts is common. The aim is to have a mind free of thoughts. It is normal to have literally thousands of thoughts swarming through your head; constant chatter. But with patience and practice you will come to find your own way of quieting the mind.
There are so many types of meditation. There are so many suggestions of what position you should be in, morning or evening and even how long you should meditate? No wonder there are those who don’t want to bother with learning. Don’t worry about the techniques and all the reasoning behind the practice. Meditating is not easy at first, but with persistence it can become addictive … really!
For the sake of getting you motivated, I’m going to list and suggest some ways to ease into this;
Know that you can control your thoughts. Only you can decide what your experience will be.
Patience. Give yourself time; it will come.
Detachment. Learn to separate yourself from your thought. (I know it sounds weird.)
Concentrate. Having something in particular to concentrate on will bring purpose and meaning.
Intensity. Set your intentions, focus and really feel the experience.
Some of us may call meditation a habit, practice or ritual. However you choose to label it, just experience it for yourself. I once read a Zen teaching that says, “The most important thing is remembering the most important thing.”
