16/09/2020
My morning meditation. I’m going to be posting more of them over the coming months.⠀
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Meditation is a vital component of my spiritual life and has a ton of well documented mental health benefits. Is it a cure all? No. Is it right for you? Maybe, maybe not. I like to think it's worth a try.⠀
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Meditation is a widely known but often misunderstood practice. Granted, the landscape is complex, with dozens of types and schools of thought, each with unique practices, rituals, and belief systems. Not to mention the issues with translating or extracting discrete practices from other cultures in other languages.⠀
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There are some common misconceptions, though, that I think apply generally to the practice.⠀
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The first is experienced by most beginning meditators. It sounds something like this:⠀
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“My mind is wandering so much! I can’t concentrate on my breath, or my body, or the present moment for even a minute! I’m terrible at this! I must be doing it wrong!”⠀
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I’ve been meditating for almost 15 years at this point. And I’m going to tell you a secret: my mind still wanders. And I’m willing to bet that if I continue meditating for 15 more, it’s going to wander, still. The whole point of the practice is not to *stop* thought, but to recognize and familiarize yourself with the turnings of the mind, bringing your awareness back to the object of your meditation when it’s wandered. ⠀
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Do you get better at it over time? If you meditate regularly, yes. Are some days harder than others? You bet.⠀
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Meditation is a discipline like any other. It takes practice. And it can be particularly hard, as it’s just you and your thoughts. But the more you’re able to develop a healthy distance from and relationship to the content of your thoughts, see them as simply the natural turnings of your mind, the more flexibility you develop in reacting to them. Both emotionally and behaviorally. ⠀
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If you have specific questions about meditation or my practice, let me know in the comments! There will be more to come!⠀
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