Meditation often comes up as a fringe topic, sometimes it seems mystical and can even make individuals feel a little uncomfortable. So, what is meditation and why is it beneficial to develop a personal meditation practice? We’ll take a look together and find out.
Let’s get personal
Before we dive into some specifics about meditation, it may be helpful to share a bit of my personal experience with meditation. Throughout my adult life, I’ve always had a strong desire to improve myself and I’ve always been very analytical. Like many ‘A’ students growing up, I had a long history of being right, a need to be right, and a firm resolve to prove this to the world. This was certainly not always the best, or most peaceful, combination. And I certainly had the results to prove it – lol.
Fortunately, through a series of discoveries, I was led to the practice of meditation. At first, I started meditating for about 5 minutes a day. I wasn’t really sure what I was doing, what it was called, or why exactly I was doing it. Nevertheless, I trusted the source of the information and kept going; there were no negative effects.
Shortly after I began meditation, I was blessed with an epiphany that simply changed my life. In a flash moment, while standing in my kitchen, I realized that everything I disliked about Keri, my beautiful bride, was really a reflection of the qualities in myself that I could not stand and hated about myself. I stood still, in a daze, for what seemed like 10 minutes. My life changed from that moment.
Meditation allowed me the space to begin observing my life, witnessing my life experiences and then implement changes, which, over time, helped me to slow momentum in certain negative areas while creating positive momentum in others. Meditation cultivated within me a witnessing awareness that allowed me to detach myself from situations and simultaneously become the observer as well as the observed (i.e. witness myself as the object being observed, while also being myself – weird, right!). As this process unfolded, I was able to evaluate my life as well as my responses to life. In this process of evaluation, especially my responses, I became able to decide, without judgment, what was working for me as well as those things that I desired to change.
From these experiences, I created for myself a series of tools that has ultimately become our Awaken Happiness Within Self-Mastery Program. Meditation is at the heart of this experience.
Related post: Meditation for Beginners
What is Meditation?
Meditation is the quieting of the mind to connect with the source of thought. There are many types of meditation, such as: guided meditation, breath meditation, mantra meditation, Primordial Sound Meditation, walking meditation, visual meditation, just to name a few. Any conscious breath in and out can be considered a meditation.
Meditation is an inward journey. Most people’s lives are dominated by their senses and the distractions of the outside world. Meditation offers us an inner connection to our Self. It can be a powerful avenue to discover deeper meaning in our lives as well as uncover our purpose for being. Meditation helps quiet the mind, allowing us access to subtler levels of the thinking process, and ultimately connects us to the source within everything.
Meditation is restful alertness as compared to deep sleep which is restful dullness. During deep sleep, our bodies rest and renew themselves, while our consciousness maintains only a basic awareness. Meditation offers a similar restfulness while being consciously alert throughout the process. An effective meditation can be as beneficial as an entire night’s sleep.
Meditation relieves stress. In a world where daily pressures surround us all and our attention is pulled in various directions and distractions, meditation offers a relief valve. Meditation yields wonderful results such as a reduced heart rate, slower breathing, improved immune function, an increase in anti-aging hormones and normalized blood pressure.
Meditation can be practiced individually as well as within a group. In fact, group meditation offers additional benefits far beyond an individual practice.
Related Post: Meditation + Observation
Why is Meditation a Good Idea?
Meditation enhances everything that you do. Would you like more joy in your life? If you are interested in a life that contains more of what you desire and less of the things that upset you, meditation is a wonderful place to start.
Meditation can provide you an opportunity to detach yourself, in a powerful positive way, from your conditioned responses so that you can intentionally choose your responses and your life. And from that place of quiet confidence, your world begins to magically transform to meet your intentions.
Need proof? There is only one way to find out. Prove it to yourself by starting today.
Do you have to meditate? No. Life is just way easier when you do. Let’s illustrate this with a simple analogy. Suppose you drive to work and your commute is about 20 minutes. Now, instead of driving, would it be easier or harder walking to and from work every day? In this analogy, meditation is your car; it is a vehicle that brings you faster to everywhere you want to go.
Namaste
Want to learn meditation or take your existing practice to the next level?
Send us a message or contact us on social media to get started right away. Nick is a certified meditation instructor and offers individual as well as group instruction in Primordial Sound Meditation, other meditation practices and Self-Mastery.
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