Why am I Meditating? What is the purpose? Is it to clear my mind, let my thoughts wonder, find inner peace, or channel my internal energies?

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When I first came across the idea of meditation, I wasn’t attracted to the concept at all. The images associated with it weren’t inviting to me. Sitting crossed legged (I am not flexible) with no back support (I had poor posture), and my thumb and pointer finger making the OK sign above either of my knees was not relatable to me.

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But the concept kept coming up in my life, so I decided to look into it. In life it is important to not judge a book by its cover. The things we see on the surface are just the barrier to the truth of what is inside.

 

Honestly, I am starting to think that people purposefully display certain concepts in a way that would not be appealing as a way to keep people from looking deeper. Meditation is one of those things.

 I have found that there are many different types of meditation styles, and many different purposes for practicing meditation. Among all the styles I have come to realize that meditation is much simpler than it is presented to be, but just like with anything in life you can always dig deeper and get creative with its uses.

 

Meditation is a simple tool to relax, clear your mind, or focus your mind. It doesn’t need to be done in any crazy positions. You can do it laying down or sitting upright in a chair. The most important thing is that you are relaxed and comfortable. 

 

Also, it is important to realize that meditation is a skill. It may appear simple, but focusing your mind is like trying to get children to sit quietly for more than 5 minutes. It is complete chaos, and it is a process that reveals exactly how unstable and out of your control the mind truly is. 

 

With that being said, meditating is a process, or more accurately an exercise that helps you control the processes of the mind. Meditation will help with emotional control, attention, focus, patience, understanding, and being in the now.  

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If you are getting into meditation for the first time, then I recommend easing yourself into it. Simply sit or lay in a comfortable position and choose one of following things to focus on.

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1. Meditation to clear the mind: Aim to breath at a controlled tempo. Focus your attention on your breathing. Your attention will stray, but just bring your mind back to your breathing. 

2. Meditation to focus the mind: Pick a subject to focus on. It can be anything such as issues you are having at work, an upcoming event, a person or a place. Note you can focus on something positive and joyful to bring your mind to peace or focus on an issue or problem to bring deeper understanding and possibly a solution. 

3. Free the mind: allow the mind to wonder. Do not try to control what you think about. Just watch your thoughts travel from one subject to another and experience the web of connections and pathways the mind creates. 

 

Start with as little as one minute a day. When you can do this for 15 minutes at a time you will notice positive changes in your mental well being. Meditation is considered a spiritual practice, but its uses are extremely practical and the benefits can be experienced in your everyday life.

 

So give it a chance and remember that this is an exercise. It will take time to flex that mental muscle. With all exercises it is important to allow yourself a minimum of six months of practice before placing judgment if you are practicing 5-7 days a week. Anything less and you should allow yourself a year before any judgments of its effects are made. Our goal is always to develop long lasting changes. So practice well and practice often and you will find that you will always be ready for the real game of life.