I Got an Insight of What Mindfulness Meditation Meant to Me

Summary

The author discovered a personal understanding of mindfulness meditation through a transformative experience of merging with the environment during a beach walk, rather than traditional seated practice.

Abstract

The author shares a journey of skepticism to enlightenment regarding mindfulness meditation. Initially hesitant and misinformed about meditation, the author eventually committed to a daily 10-minute meditation practice. Despite not feeling a significant transformation after 10 or 11 days, a pivotal moment occurred during a beach walk, where the author experienced a profound connection with nature. This experience led to a realization that meditation, for them, is about surrendering to the present moment and environment, silencing thoughts, and achieving peace of mind. The author emphasizes that this realization was unexpected and contrary to the common belief that meditation involves intellectualization or visualization.

Opinions

The author initially had misgivings about meditation, viewing it with skepticism.
Curiosity and the desire for self-discovery eventually led the author to try meditation.
The author found that even a short daily meditation practice could bring a sense of peace.
A traditional seated meditation practice was challenged when the author successfully meditated while walking.
The author believes that true meditation involves letting go of intellectualization and merging with one's surroundings.
The experience of mindfulness during the beach walk was described as feeling whole and alive, contrasting with the feeling of being disconnected from life.
The author suggests that meditation can be a personal and flexible practice, not confined to conventional methods.

It was about blending in with my environment and sensations

Suddenly, it was as if the sound of the waves filled my head first, then my whole body. I surrendered to my environment and became one with nature. I could feel precisely every single step I took on the sand, while my mind became totally at peace.

It’s been a while since I first heard about meditation, and more specifically mindfulness meditation. It took some time before I started taking an interest in it, as I had a lot of misgivings about meditation.

Over time, the idea of meditating grew in my mind, and I became convinced that it was a step I had to take to get further in my self-discovery. I didn’t feel it as an obligation. I was really curious about it, and the way it could help me remove the veil with which I felt like I was feeling my life, as if at no time was I able to be fully in it.

That’s why recently, I committed to meditating no more than 10 minutes a day. I thought it was a good start, as it was easy to fit into my daily life, and it was better than nothing. Every day, at the time that seemed to me most likely and convenient, I sat in a quiet room and started focusing on my breath and the present moment, before my phone rang the end of the 10 minutes.

I can’t say that, after these 10 or 11 days, I truly felt any change. I indeed felt more at peace after meditating, but I didn’t feel transformed. But it’s only been 10 or 11 days.

Today, as I was having a long walk alone on the beach, the foam of the waves coming close to the tip of my toes, I thought about meditating differently. I wondered why I should have to sit still to meditate when I could do it while walking. So I gave it a try. What did I have to lose?

I just kept walking and got into the state of mind I used to be in when meditating. That’s when my meditation experience changed for the best.

I suddenly had the idea to surrender to my surroundings. Break the barriers I had built in my mind, stop trying to intellectualize everything, and just melt with nature. It was as if I opened my mind and my whole body and admitted my surroundings inside.

I let the sound of the waves fill my head. I let myself feel deeply the sand sagging beneath my feet. I felt whole, but not in a lonely way. I felt whole as if I had been reunited with where I came from.

This may seem strange. I would have probably felt the same way as you if someone had told me this story. But the feeling was very peculiar. And it taught me one thing.

Meditation is not at all about intellectualization and visualization. It’s the very opposite. At least to me. It’s surrendering. Melting with your environment and the present moment. Then, your thoughts get silent. Your mind gets at peace.

And most important: you feel here, and alive.

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