Dating back to as early as 3000 B.C.E., meditation's first documented use was in the Hindu practice, Vedantism. Meditation went through many expressions throughout history, being used in assortment of cultures, both Eastern and Western, and many different religions. Now practiced by the likes of Bill Gates, Oprah Winfrey and Lilly Singh, meditation has entered the mainstream as a common activity of the ultra-successful. I am definitely no CEO, world leader or general public figure, but I still wanted to find out what all the hype was about, and if I would experience any of the lovely benefits that come from meditation.
And this is what I learned from a month of meditation:
A world of possibilities
If you're anything like me, you probably have a pretty generic idea of what meditation is: crossed legs, eyes closed, deep breathing, dark rooms, bamboo flute music, and just ~general zen~. But in reality, meditation is actually a variety of practices, that all function to generate compassionate feelings and a greater awareness of self, of others and of the world. There's no right nor wrong way to meditate. My personal favorite meditation techniques are loving-kindness, a method in which you work on extending love to yourself and to others, and focused attention, a breath-centered exercise that gives you a great point to direct your attention to if you lose focus. If one thing doesn't work for you, there is something else that will.
Stress-relief
On a scale of 1-10 (with 10 being the highest), my stress level has always remained at a constant 7. I'm a perfectionist, and the quintessence of Type A personalities. There are very few things that can get me to chill out. When starting meditation, I anticipated that my anxiety would increase. Sitting in silence normally brings up a lot of negative feelings for me. However, counterintuitively, I have been able to find a lot of peace through sitting quietly. The typical weight that sits upon my shoulders has been significantly reduced. Allowing yourself some genuine relief from the struggles you face or the to-do list you have is a very wonderful and powerful thing.
Struggles of silences
The first time I sat down to meditate, I couldn't hold still. To sit quietly with nothing but your breath and your intrusive thoughts feels very eerie, and it did for the first several times I meditated. Trying to silence your mind is hard, especially if you've never tried to do so before. But as they say, practice makes perfect, and the more you work on finding stillness, the easier it becomes. For me, it probably took a week of meditating to fully acclimate.
Importance of self-love
In today's world of self-deprecating humor, it's very easy to be hard on yourself, either consciously or subconsciously. I'm not immune to this: I regularly profess my stupidity to my friends and say nasty things to myself when I mess up. Both of these practices, particularly the latter, can be incredibly detrimental to self-esteem and self-image. However, through meditation, I have been able to spark some compassion for myself. Meditation is supposed to be inwardly-focused and clarifying, allowing you to see past negativity and stressors to find peace. As I mentioned before, I've come to really enjoy loving-kindness guided meditations. My new response to my own mistakes has become validation and patience, rather than spite.
Anywhere, anytime
Meditation doesn't have to be a defined, organized activity with a set place or time. Whether I was busy with work and errands or just having a lazy day in, there was always a way to squeeze in some meditative time. There are plenty of great, personal spaces that can be utilized for meditating throughout a crazy day. Though I personally love having a routine, it's liberating to know I don't have to put down meditation in my schedule.
Meditation has been a fantastic addition to my life, and I have no intention on stopping, especially as the anxiety-inducing start of the school year grows nearer. Though you absolutely don't need to do this to enjoy successful and peaceful meditation, I ended up investing in a year-long subscription to the Calm app. My journey and experiences with meditating have been up and down, but the overall positive outcomes I have received make all of the initial struggle so very worth it. I extend my loving-kindness out to you.
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