Meditation has been a part of the human experience for centuries.
And you're likely to find some form of it in nearly every religion or spiritual practice on the planet.
So it would seem to follow that there just might be something to it.
But put aside any notions you may have that reserve meditation for "hippies" or people
who hand out literature at airports. Meditation can have a place is anyone's lifestyle.
As our world gets faster and faster it's easy for all of us to lose touch with our inner-selves
and forget (or worse, never experience) the peace of feeling grounded and balanced.
Why Meditate?
Well, it teaches us to be fully present and involved in this moment.
And the ability to stay focused on this moment opens us to our fullest human potential
and brings the deepest joy and peace that life has to offer. You don't buy that?
Okay, consider this: life is full of both pleasure and pain.
No matter what we do or don't do, we will all experience both in our lives.
So, given that, what increases pain in our lives?-- expecting that life is different than it is.
In my life, I can say that the expectation of anything is where I invite pain, hurt and disappointment.
That doesn't mean I can't hope for things; but, when I am able to just stay right here
and value and appreciate what I have in this moment, I can nearly always find peace and comfort.
Wow! What a relief that is. And meditation is a wonderful way to train ourselves to stay
in the moment - to avoid spinning off into fantasies of the future or lingering in the
irretrievable past.
Meditation can help us to let go of our desire to change and control life
(an unattainable and crazy-making goal) and embrace and accept what we have right now.
Meditation has acquired great mystique in its long history and inspired many misconceptions:
Misconception #1
Meditation requires turning off your mind and making it "blank."
In truth, "turning off" your mind is more what we associate with sleep. In practicing meditation, we are trying to train our consciousness to stay focused on the present, not check out.
Misconception #2
Meditation is difficult.
In truth, meditation in itself is quite easy to do. Of course we get better with practice; but we can receive benefits from our very first attempt. Remember that our purpose is not to focus on any goal; our purpose is to keep our focus in the present moment.
Misconception #3
If your mind wanders, you have failed.
In truth, redirecting your wandering mind is what meditation is all about. It is a given that your mind will wander. Your meditation practice is the act of being aware of that wandering and gently redirecting your thoughts back to where your body is now.
