Meditation: It’s Not What You Think
Use mindfulness techniques to find peace. Right here, right now.
There is a lot of nonsense spoken about meditation. It’s complex, it’s difficult, you need to give a guru a lot of money, you will feel bliss, you will be at one with the cosmos, you need special equipment, you have to bend yourself up into a pretzel shape…
People get all wrapped around the axles over meditation. And they don’t need to.
It’s simple really
- To become what you really are, you must first come out of what you are not.
- You are not those circling thoughts: the ceaseless chatter of the mind.
Meditation is a way of turning away from the activities of the mind and finding rest in the ensuing tranquility.
The key part of meditation is finding something to focus on that is not the perception of the mind, whether internal and external. If you watch the activities in a busy street and try to analyse every detail, you will not be at peace.
Likewise, if you pay attention to every passing thought. Same deal.
Give it a rest
Instead, focus on the breath. Or the tip of the pen while you are drawing a Zentangle. Or a mantra. Or the crunch of gravel under your feet while you walk a labyrinth. The sound of waves lapping on a shore. The texture of beads on a string. The smell of woodsmoke.
Whatever it is, it should be something that doesn’t need any analysis or decision-making or memorising. Who cares about remembering the feel of each indrawn breath? Or the texture of a silent mantra as it passes through your mind. These things are not important as individual entities, and just like a bus, another one exactly the same will be along in a moment.
Watch the wheels spin around, but don’t count the revolutions.
And the mind goes off and sulks in a corner
Like a fretful child, if you give it no attention, the mind gets weary and gives up. That’s when you can stop paying attention to your mantra and enjoy the peace.
Of course, thoughts will return, and clamour for attention. They will be attractive, entertaining, even subtle. But they need to be identified and set aside.
Not rejected with any force. Like a pendulum swinging away, if you apply any effort at all it will come back and smack you in the face. Just release the thought, resume your mantra, and let it naturally fade away, leaving nothing but yourself.
Mindfulness and meditation go hand in hand
If you have any experience of mindfulness techniques, you are halfway there. Live in the present moment, focus on the working surface. Avoid distractions, be in touch with the body and the senses. Pause between tasks. Don’t be judgemental, go with the flow.
All that is gold, and mindfulness will improve your quality of life, reduce stress, make you a happier person, boost your relationships, enhance your work performance, increase your lifespan. The science is solid.
Meditation is the next step after mindfulness. I meditate an hour a day, sometimes longer. If I stop, I can feel it. Others notice a change.
I’d rather be happy, mindful, and meditating.
Meditation is simple, yet there are so many ways of looking at it
I’ve been meditating since I was a girl, but there’s always some new wrinkle, some different way of looking at it. What is the role of the breath? Of spirituality? Can I meditate and chew gum at the same time? Should I say the mantra exactly the same each time, or with tenderness or decision or love?
It’s good to talk these things over with fellow meditators, learn a new technique, practice it together, and go off with a fresh approach.
But the objective is the same. Still the mind, enjoy the peace.
Have you tried it?
There are any number of schools or courses or apps. I personally think it is best to find an established tradition and learn with a group and a guru, so that questions may be asked, the history and background established, techniques and personal circumstances explored, and have some sort of ritual as a formal beginning.
My initiation into meditation involved a teacher, a ceremony with flowers and candles and gifts, Sanskrit prayers, and various steps to ensure that I understood how it worked and I was doing it correctly.
That gave the practice a sense of purpose and structure and continuity for me. It is an ancient tradition, and it is best respected, rather than tossed off into an app on your phone.
And when you find bliss, please share it!
I’ve been meditating for longer than I care to mention out loud, but I won’t pretend for a moment that I have explored every pathway. Is there something that works for you? Some horror story to share? I’m happy to listen.
Britni
Here’s my horror story; read it and weep!
