How and Why I Should Meditate

What is Meditation & How and Why I Should Meditate.

Meditation is not about how long you can sit in silence with your eyes closed. There is much more to meditation than that. Master meditators are those who are fully present, which is to say fully conscious at all times. To be fully present is simple. It means to not be in your mind. To be in your mind is to be caught up in thoughts that are more often than not planning or predicting the future or repeating, fixating and remembering things that happened in the past. Observe your mind and you will find this to be true. Think of meditation as like the off switch to your mind. How convenient it is to be able to step away from your thoughts and out of your mind when you are trying to focus or when you find yourself thinking about things that are not serving you.

So how can I do this?

Meditation is the art of silencing the mind, and choosing not to think. There are those among you who I am sure may feel like it is impossible to stop thinking but rejoice because this is something anybody can do. Here are a few basic steps that can help you with your meditation.

You cannot ‘try’
Do not ‘try’ to stop thinking because trying will only lead to more thinking, for example “I must stop thinking”, or “this is silly, I will never be able to stop thinking”. Realize that meditating is your natural state and the only reason you think so much is because you have been doing it your entire life so you may even consider yourself a ‘master thinker’.

Breathe deeply and slowly
The oldest trick in the book is to focus on your breathing. You may have heard this already but this is important because it is impossible to fully focus on your breathing and think at the same time. So breathe deeply and slowly and focus on the movement of your chest and the sound of your breathe.

Accept your mind
The chances are that when you try to meditate your mind will want to make some noise. Let it, whatever your mind does or says is fine. The important part is that you do not let yourself get mixed up in the noise. For example “hmm, a burrito sounds really good right now”. Let these thoughts/impulses pass. Do not join in e.g. “Oh yeah, maybe I will try that new place… and get extra hot sauce this time… maybe I should get two burritos…” Don’t do it. Observe the thoughts that come into your mind and know they will pass.

Patience
It may be boring or even uncomfortable for many to try and do nothing or not think for any given amount of time but with practice makes perfect. Ask yourself ‘why do I get bored?’ Is it because of the false belief that the present moment is imperfect. Is there is something better you can be doing? What could be better than relaxing and doing nothing? What could be better than mastering your own mind and therefore your own destiny? Patience is the key to meditation. Impatience leads to frustration and therefore suffering. Meditation is the remedy for impatience and suffering.

Still having difficulty?

Play some meditation music while you meditate. This can be really beneficial by giving you something to focus on. You can also run a hot bath light some candles and light incense sticks. The stress free environment may be just the thing you need to clear your mind to become fully conscious. That is to say, free your minds activity.

So how can being a masterful meditator benefit me?

When you become accomplished at this you will soon find that not only is easy to silence your mind and feel the joy of being in relaxing situations such as bath time or yoga but in difficult situations too such as being in a long line at the DMV, getting into an argument with your spouse or even staying calm in an emergency. Furthermore, you will gain the ability to nap or fall into deep sleep whenever you wish to do so. People will also shine more when you bless them with your presence. Instead of drifting off and getting caught up with your mind activiy when somebody is speaking. You will be able to stay focused and actually listen to everything that person is saying by giving them your undivided attention. In addition, because thinking is so energy consuming you will also discover that the energy saved from thinking less will give you energy boosts in other areas of your life; then when you do actually use your mind for something practical it will be much more sharper and focused. So without rambling too much the list of benefits is truly endless and you are going to have to experience this to believe it for yourself. So why not try meditating today. You can do it anywhere and anytime so you can try right now. It is important to know that you must be in control of you and your mind because if you are not somebody or something else will. So set an alarm for a couple of minutes; smile, take a few deep breathes, focus on the present moment, and until next time.

~Stay conscious