Everyone Should Meditate. Here’s the Single Reason Why

Plus 4 steps to starting your own meditation practice.

I believe that every single person should meditate.

We don’t all have to meditate in the same way, and a lot of us probably don’t even need to sit down to a formal meditation practice. However, having some sort of practice in your day where you can be still, introspective, and build this incredibly important skill is something that would be valuable to every single person.

And I believe this because I believe that meditation achieves one fundamental thing.

The key benefit of meditation

“Ceaseless change is an unreliable basis for lasting fulfillment. Realizing this, many people begin to wonder whether a deeper source of well-being exists. Is there a form of happiness beyond the mere repetition of pleasure and avoidance of pain?” — Sam Harris, Waking Up

We spend so much of our lives pursuing pleasurable things and avoiding pain. Surely there is more to life than this?

The key benefit of meditation is allowing wellbeing to be available to us regardless of our external circumstances.

And this is something that every single person deserves, and this is why I think everyone should have a meditation practice.

While meditation achieves myriad things — self-awareness, emotional regulation, improved mood, and improved physical health, among many other things — these all come together to create a sense of wellbeing regardless of what is going on around us.

Sam Harris explains this further:

“If there exists a source of psychological well-being that does not depend upon merely gratifying one’s desires, then it should be present even when all the usual sources of pleasure have been removed. Such happiness should be available to a person who has declined to marry her high school sweetheart, renounced her career and material possessions, and gone off to a cave or some other spot that is inhospitable to ordinary aspirations…. In my view, the realistic goal to be attained through spiritual practice is not some permanent state of enlightenment that admits of no further efforts but a capacity to be free in this moment, in the midst of whatever is happening. If you can do that, you have already solved most of the problems you will encounter in life.”

How to start a meditation practice

Start small

Aim for 5 minutes, or even just one minute if you think that’s all you can commit to.

The idea is to commit to a length of time you can do consistently — ideally every single day.

“Just find one to try, decide on the amount of time each day you can realistically practice daily — even as short as a few minutes — try it for a month, and see how you feel after those thirty days.” — The Science of Meditation

Decide on a time of day to practice

This will help you remember to do it.

Deciding on a time and doing your meditation at the same time each day makes it much more likely you'll do it consistently.

For most people, this is early on in the morning. Waiting until later in the day makes it more likely something will come up, you’ll lack motivation, and/or you’ll forget entirely.

Commit to your practice

While each session of meditation does produce benefits on its own, the real magic of meditation comes from consistent practice, and compounds over time.

Therefore, you must commit to a regular practice — daily if possible. I aim for 5 minutes of meditation each morning, and unless something comes up and I really can’t practice, I stick with it regardless of how I am feeling.

“Having a life so hectic that you can’t fit in 20 minutes for your mental well being isn’t a sign of productivity, it’s a sign of disorder.” — Nat Eliason

Utilize supports

There are so many ways to support your practice.

One of the most accessible supports is a meditation app. I originally used Insight Timer, but have recently been using Headspace more often. There are so many apps out there, so download a few and see which works best for you.

While using an app may not seem like “traditional” meditation, it can be incredibly helpful, especially when you’re starting out. I really enjoy hearing someone speak about positive and calming things.

Don’t feel like you have to go out on your own.

Similarly, if you have a friend or family member who meditates or wants to meditate, see if you can meditate with them. Or, at least commit to a regular practice together and share how it is going.

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