Go! Meditate!

Go! Meditate!

Some of us have meditated for a long time and experienced the wonderful benefits of this calming practice firsthand. And then some of us… not so much.

I was introduced to meditation some years ago through my oracle card course. In the class, our teacher told us: “I don’t care what you think about meditation. I don’t care if you think you can’t meditate, or if you believe in it or not. In this course, you will meditate!” And I cringed… A fleeting image of a somewhat pretentious, holier-than-thou health enthusiast in yoga pants, speaking softly while sipping wheatgrass juice, popped into my mind.

See, at that time, I still had this very narrow, conditioned, and stereotypical image of someone who meditates. None of my friends meditated, nor did any of my colleagues, or at least they never mentioned it. My idea of meditation and people participating in it was formed from social media, magazines, and inherited judgments stemming from a culture where meditation was classified as part of the new-age woo-woo nonsense. Something that was for people who either had too much time on their hands or who bought into Eastern philosophies that were somewhat foreign to me.

So, my attitude was that I can’t meditate, and I thought to myself: I won’t be able to just stay still and chant “Ohm.” I don’t have the time. It sounds boring. I don’t think meditation can really benefit me in any way. I’m not spiritual. It probably doesn’t work on me since I don’t believe in it. I’m a scientist, so meditation is not really designed for me. I’m not geared for that. For crying out loud, I can’t sit cross-legged in the lotus position; it hurts my back!

But I had invested a significant sum of money in this course and was committed to trying to get the most out of it, so I begrudgingly succumbed to the meditation part. And boy, am I happy I did!

Very simply put, in meditation, we practice guiding our attention. The simplest way to meditate is to close your eyes and focus on breathing, just paying attention to the air going in and out or feeling your belly rising and falling. Meditation doesn’t need to be anything more complicated than that. You can lie down, you can sit (on a normal chair), or choose any position that’s comfortable for you.

When I started meditating, I often noticed my mind wandering. The washing machine was making noise. A buzz on my phone got me distracted and thinking about whether the message was something important. What time was it anyway? How long did I still need to sit here? I found myself going through my list of to-dos again and rehearsing imaginary conversations. I tried guiding my attention back to my breathing, and many times it felt like I didn’t do such a great job. My attention just didn’t stay put.

But hey. That’s meditation. I was already doing it. By realizing that I kept getting distracted, I was already observing my thoughts. So, for all the non-believers out there who think they can’t meditate, I want to say that even if you can’t stay focused on your rising abdomen, you are doing it correctly. Just the act of noticing that your thoughts are all over the place is part of the practice of training your mind to focus. That is why we call it meditation practice. Keep practicing, and it’ll get easier.

What I can also tell you is that meditation works! The simple act of noticing your thoughts allows you to become the observer for a moment. Who is the one noticing that you lost focus? Who is observing your thoughts? That’s your higher self! That’s you connecting to your higher consciousness, to the infinite soul of your being. This is where you release the identification of yourself with your thoughts. You are not your thoughts. You are the observer of your thoughts.

And this is the point of meditation! The disconnection from the never-ending thought patterns that make us reactive. When we meditate, we give our mind a rest. We are just observing. So next time you try to meditate and it doesn’t work, or you feel you’re not doing it correctly, clear out the judgment! You are meditating, and that’s the main point. You’re benefiting from it! Just keep practicing.

Personally, I started meditating with 5–10-minute guided visualizations, listening to a voice describing a walk on the beach or in a forest. Immersing myself in a relaxing storyline with beautiful music in the background was easy enough for me. When I didn’t have time to sit in a quiet room, I played these meditations on my way to work in my car. Naturally, I didn’t close my eyes, but allowed myself to listen and let the images form in my head.

Something magical did happen in the process! My trips to work became my favorite part of the day. I began noticing all the beautiful trees, birds, and mountains on my drive. I stopped fretting about leaving two minutes too late and being tardy to morning meetings. I realized there was nothing I could do right now, at this moment, in my car, about not having left earlier. I was on my way and would get there when I got there. My 20-minute drive turned into a rejuvenation for myself, my own time, my self-care. The stress and anxiety of the workday ahead melted away, and I began to enjoy my little break before needing to take on the stress again. This little shift in my morning routine started changing everything.

Today, I can sit in silence for longer periods of time and meditate just by focusing inward. I may fall asleep when lying down and listening to a longer meditation, but it doesn’t matter. I know that I still get the benefit from it. My overall sense of calm has overtaken the stress-bound, constantly active, future-fretting mind. I am more present in the moment. I’ll still worry, I’ll still get angry, I’ll still stress out, but not as often, and not for as long as I used to. At least not to the point of mental exhaustion, because I give my mind a chance to rest every now and again. By meditating.

I have learned that there is no right or wrong way to meditate. Make things easy for yourself. Experiment with what kind of meditations are best for you. Do you like music, visualizations, mantras, or silence? Maybe you’d rather sit on a chair, sit on a pillow, lie down, or walk. Maybe you’ll even do the crazy thing of listening to meditations while driving a car (just don’t tell anyone I suggested it). Test out what works for you, and then release the strict expectations about what it means for meditation to work or what it means to do it right. Don’t let anyone tell you it doesn’t work. And more importantly, don’t be the one telling yourself you can’t do it.

Trust me. Meditation will make your life better, more balanced, and easier. It will allow you to tap into a much higher consciousness than you are experiencing right now. It doesn’t fundamentally change you; it just momentarily connects you with your soul, the observer, and disconnects you from the reactive, stress-ridden thoughts. When we learn to meditate, we learn to observe and focus, which are key components of any manifestation or empowerment. First, we disconnect, observe, pull back from our reactions, and then we guide our focus and energy to the things we want. Simple, right?!

With meditation, you will become less reactive to the hustle around you. You are more observant of your own thoughts. You have a solace, a sanctuary, a quiet place right there inside of you. You have an escape, if you will, and no one needs to know. You can go there anytime and realize that you’re safe and secure in the quietness of your soul, in the space between, the quantum field, the universal consciousness, god, goddess, spirit, the all-encompassing energy.

Start today. It doesn’t cost you anything, but you may be surprised by what it can bring!