Meditation Is Not Just a Shortcut to Peace — It Is a Way of Living

5 tips for developing your knack in meditation from someone who is meditating for nearly 20 years and also busting common misconceptions about meditation.

The first time I sat in the lotus posture was when I was in the fifth standard. Never knowing what it meant, I just sat. After my schooling, I inculcated meditation into my routine to cope with stress. Now, it has been close to 20 years, and I am living a meditative life.

So what is meditation, after all?

Is it sitting idle with closed eyes? Is it focusing on your thoughts? Is it about analyzing them? Does the word ‘meditation’ confuse or scare you? Has something kept you away from its impressive effects?

People twist the word ‘meditation’ in many forms to suit themselves. Let me clear some misconceptions surrounding this word.

Here is the list of what meditation is NOT:

• Focusing/analyzing your thoughts
• Any guided meditation
• Mindfulness exercises
• Religious/Mystical activity

Now I will list what meditation is:

• It is the silence that comes AFTER doing a guided technique.
• The peace that follows.
• Surrender and Oneness at the moment that many terms as ‘Bliss.’

Why Do You Think Meditation Is Not Your Cup Of Tea?

You have implanted certain beliefs within the minds that discourage you from experimenting with meditation. These beliefs lead you to a thinking process that scares you to experience sublime peace.

Some notions may sound hilarious, but I have encountered many who strongly believe in them. These are:

• Fear of the belief that meditation is only for ascetics, and while you do, you might leave every relation and join the force of ascetics.
• Meditation is for an older age group, and you are not yet eligible for it.
• You have a life to live and enjoy and have responsibilities to fulfill. You don’t have time for some voodoo shit.
• Your life is going perfectly, and you will experiment with it when things go wrong.

Many people have tried it but can’t continue with it. It happens because:

• Thoughts of work or personal life invade their mind, and it isn't easy to sit still. ‘Did I switch off the stove? How dare he/she said this to me? I am not sure if I should continue my current work. What if my ongoing experiment fails?’
• You have to complete some work afterward and are in a hurry to rush through your meditation.
• You want to conform to other people’s ideas of living, and meditation is alien to them. You don’t want to feel ostracised.

Why Should Meditation Be a Part of Your Life?

You have heard of the most common super-effects that meditation has on the human body and mind. It calms you down, the peace it radiates, the brain centers it stimulates, and the anti-aging effect because it reduces stress levels.

But do you know that meditation leads to meditative living?

Meditative living — a life full of peace and light-heartedness, irrespective of work and interactions with people.

In the past, I had my share of difficulties. I struggled for five years to clear my post-graduate entrance exams. I had no stable job. I had my share of heartbreaks. I hit rock bottom, where I seriously contemplated suicide as the only option.

But my practice of meditation supported me in my miserable times. It worked like a sweet medicine in calming my mind and centering my being.

I am Reiki Grandmaster and associated with an incredible spiritual group, with a beautiful, heartwarming group of friends. I am blessed to have a mentor who has transformed my life with his magical touch.

Every moment of my life is magical. Like a tiny baby, I celebrate every moment. It doesn’t matter if outside circumstances are ugly or beautiful. My inside has metamorphosed. My heart has flowered with divine love.

When meditation becomes a part of you, it extends its calmness to every area of life. Even while dealing with problematic areas of personal or professional life, nothing affects your peace.

It is NOT mandatory for you to be spiritual to meditate. Peace is your birth-right. Meditation helps in achieving that.

Meditation is a way of living. Who does not want a peaceful life? We all are earning and working towards a beautiful life of freedom.

Meditation gives you mental freedom — freedom from outer circumstances and freedom to choose your response.

And for those who seek the highest, meditation is one of the many paths to Nirvana. Spirituality is all about dissolving your mind and ego. Meditation helps in living in the surrendered state.

Remember, you are not your thoughts. Your mind is generating ideas according to the circumstances as a problem-solving machine. But when you forget to put the brake on this process, it snowballs and leaves you exhausted.

Meditation helps in identifying your thoughts and beliefs. Instead of getting attached to those thoughts, it allows you to become a witness.

Meditation Is a Knack — You Can Develop it.

Many people sit through the entire guided meditation but don’t sit for the silent sitting afterward. That is where the real elixir hides.

Be it guided or non-guided meditation or any mindfulness exercise, these activities help you calm the body and mind so that thoughts don’t distract you when you sit silent.

Just like any muscle training, you can train yourself to slip into meditation in an instant. But give yourself some regular practice before you beat yourself up. Be consistent and put in your sincere efforts.

Tips to Develop the Knack:

#1. Keep a particular place and time dedicated to meditation.

Set some time and place aside for your daily meditation routine. Don’t overlap it with any other activity so you can do it without interruptions.

Setting a place and time signals your brain that it is time for your meditation. Slipping inside a peaceful state becomes easy with regular discipline.

#2. Use a guided meditation to start.

Guided meditation helps you to go through the process quickly. It releases your bodily and mental tension. It consciously drives you so your mind does not waver off anywhere but here.

When you become comfortable with the process, leave the guided meditations and sit by yourself.

#3. Don’t get disheartened when thoughts hijack your mind.

It happens to everybody. Even with the experienced meditator.

Knack is to create a mental distance between these thoughts and you.

Be aware of those thoughts. If you float in the abyssal of ideas, start again by being a witness.

It takes some time to notice your nonstop thoughts. For a very long time, we have identified ourselves with our thoughts. Give it some time and regular practice to switch to a witnessing mode.

#4. Use your breath as a tool to meditate anywhere, anytime.

Gradually include meditation in between your day-to-day activities. Stretch beyond your designated place and time of meditation.

Use your breath as a tool to relax you. Focus on your unaltered breathing. As the breath slows down, you can notice the gap between the inhaled and exhaled breath.

Watch the movement of the stomach. If you are inhaling correctly, your stomach will rise, and while exhaling, it will deflate.

Utilize this ever-present activity to relax you. Now slip into silence.

#5. Be totally present when the universe gifts you Silence.

Today during my morning walk, a wave of immense awareness engulfed me. I stopped walking and sat on the rock. I allowed it to immerse me more. I did not move till it was over.

It happens many times arbitrarily. Whenever it happens, I exclude ‘me’ from the picture and let the universe do whatever it wants.

There are moments when the peace engulfs you without even trying. Take those moments seriously. Stop any activity and let the cosmos do its work.

Take you/any feelings/judgments/analysis out of the picture. The mind can create roadblocks in your cleansing. There is no need to investigate what is happening. Let it pass.

The universe knows the best. Don’t undervalue these splendid moments. These moments are precious little gifts from the universe. And I am sure you don’t want to ignore them.

Takeaway:

If you have not thought of starting meditation, start now. Forget the fancy word — meditation. Just sit silently with yourself. Let go of what you think or believe. Be your natural, peaceful state. You deserve that.

Take a U-turn and center within yourself.

Start meditation as a daily chore. With regular practice, it becomes a way of living. Remember, meditation is not a goal. It is a process. Invest some time in your peace.

Let me know about your meditation journey and any difficulties that you encounter. We can always tweak the meditation process best suited according to the individual.

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