The Thing About Meditation...

As you may have guessed from my first post, I don't like doing my research before writing an article. But, I do like to write from experience. So, here goes for my thoughts about meditation...

The thing about meditation is that there is a myth that, to be able to successfully meditate, you have to completely clear your mind. What I have learned in the past year of taking classes, using apps, and even watching guided meditations on TV, is that there is no successful way to meditate. I have always believed that I would never reach self actualization until I introduced mediation into my life. I have now begun this quest, but feel more lost and unsuccessful at it than if I had never started! Let me tell you the key takeaways I learned about what mediation really is and how to move forward in your journey, if this is the path you wish to take. For me, it has always felt like a lifelong journey, even though I only started to try it seriously last January.

First off, you need to find your groove spot. I had imagined setting myself up with a spiritual room, Zen Buddha Temple and all, but, it turned out that all I could afford was a meditation mat. The fountain with calming chimes would have to come later...However, when you start your first guided meditation, you might be told to find a comfortable chair to sit in. This changed my whole perspective of trying to create a relaxing atmosphere to find peace. This was further reinforced when I took a class last year and we sat at a board room table to meditate on what one could technically call a mediation circle. Not sure why the environment was not made to feel more Zen. But, they did assure us that there was a rock in every corner of the room to protect us. Ok...what?

So, here is the meat of this article. It is not a "how to" story because there are a gazillion of those out on the internets. But, what I am about to tell you will make you seriously reconsider whether or not this voodoo technique is something that you want to divulge in. Haha, I joke. Or, do I?

Some meditation practitioners will tell you that when you open up your mind to the universe, you are also opening up your spiritual soul to the negative energy of the world. There are ways to protect yourself. Hence, the rocks in each corner of the room. That would be 4 rocks, for anyone who is concerned about their practice and has not been using rocks thus far. You can also throw salt. No, not over the left shoulder but I think just to keep it around to deionize bad spirits. Or, you can remember, after a meditation or spiritual experience, to shake off any negative energy. Are we talking demons?

Aside from you making yourself vulnerable to the world, you may also develop psychic abilities, once you become more routine in your practice. After speaking with my mom about mediation, she told me that she had predicted one of my ailments. She is quite sure that the mediation she has been doing for the past few years has given her ESP.

In my opinion, and limited practice, I believe these things: meditation makes you a better person, meditation can help you heal yourself, and meditation can help you to become more perceptive about your health, family, friends, and overall life. When you dedicate time to work on yourself, you become a more patient, compassionate, and caring person. You can empathize with a person who is often frantic, frazzled, or even acting bipolar! Not to say that you will suddenly be able to diagnose mental illnesses or even understand what someone who can't bring themselves to meditate, are even going through. But, what I am saying is that you will have a more open mind to be able to change your perspective and see someone in their own world instead of simply imagining your own.

Again, these are the things that I believe. How else are we going to make the world a better place and come together to live as one? My last thoughts on mediation are that it is all about the breathing. The thoughts come and go, but it is my understanding that the thoughts will eventually cease and peace will enter your mind. I plan to return to the idea of setting up a tranquil environment. If you have kids, get a white noise maker or a really loud fountain. I will be setting up my hammock and fountain in the backyard this summer to just float, while looking at the clouds. Ideally, a mojito and a sun shade will be sitting next to me. A girl can dream, right?

I wish you peace, success, and happiness. Whatever form or practice that might take, just enjoy the journey, for that is why we are here...