Ah, meditation it’s what all the cool hippie kids do these days, right?

You hear it all over the place, and everyone seems to swear it improves their lives. But how? Is it worth the try? What is meditation? So many questions and so many approaches can leave you confused and unmotivated. So I would take some time and go through the basics.

So what is it?

In our everyday life, we spend all our time focusing on our external reality, we work, run errands, socialize, etc. You get my point, we all do it. There is not much room left for our internal reality. It’s like an unexplored territory filled with all kinds of mysteries. Maybe this is the time for you to see what treasures you can find there. So, answering the question I posed above, meditation is taking our attention to our inside world. To be present with ourselves and learn to be mindful. I have a friend that says meditation is the only time you get to do nothing and feel absolutely peaceful about it. To which I would say yes and no. With that being said, let’s go over to the next question.

What is it good for?

Absolutely nothing. Sorry, bad joke. Meditation might feel you are doing nothing, though many things happen. Like a lake that is still. The mud settles.

We get caught up in the rat cage that can be life. So locked into our own experiences, we find there is no other way. Meditation offers a way for your mind to be open to new possibilities. To consider something from multiple points of view. This is healthy and we need a resting space for the ego. Not a space to eradicate the ego. I am not an advocate for that. But simply a way to tuck the ego in a cozy little bed to rest.

How much should I meditate?

We should not see meditation as a task. Something we have to do because if we see it as an obligation, mediation ends up being a chore.

Many beginners beat themselves up because their thoughts won’t slow down. This is very common and there are no real shortcuts here, but simply to keep meditating. Remember the golden rule: What we resist persists.

Trying to make your mind shut up will most likely increase its volume. This sounds confusing because wasn’t meditation about trying to silence the mind? Well, yes, and no. Try approaching it from the attitude of simply observing your thoughts. They come and go. Our minds are powerful and the way we think affects us on many levels. To believe every thought we have can wreak havoc on our wellbeing. This is not a simple task. I know that from experience. But some things in life require discipline, to stick to something even when it gets tough.

So answering the question of how much depends on what type of person you are. If you have a lot of time, challenge yourself and start with five minutes a day and increase it week by week. Don’t have a lot of time? try mindfulness. Whatever you do, try to have your focus on that task. Mundane things like washing dishes or folding laundry, let the mind be fully immersed in the experience.

How to meditate and some last words.

There are many ways to meditate. Active, passive, mindfulness, chanting, visualizing… you name it. Try them all and see what fits. I would advise a total beginner to start by observing the breath. To make it more manageable, count your breath. Inhale to the count of four and exhale to the count of six. And every time your mind wanders. Come back to the breath. Not a fan of counting? Try to visualize your breath. There are no set rules to this one. Imagine the breath as anything you want. Water, light, anything that floats your boat. Remember, it is your mind and you get to decide what to do with it.

We can use meditation to run further away from ourselves and the problems we face. That can be something we need to do from time to time to get a break. Meditation is a beautiful tool to learn more about ourselves and the universe at large. Enjoy it and slowly but surely, our minds will be our best friends.