It’s interesting to me just how polarizing the topic of meditation has been (and continues to be in certain pockets) in America. Luckily those views have changed and softened over the years – progressing from a “foreign” concept that was “anti-Christianity” to a widely accepted practice alongside yoga and Pilates. Nowadays, when you google meditation, you receive millions of results – overviews, techniques, products for sale, and a variety of seemingly incredulous claims (like quitting smoking and having mind-blowing sex). Given that sea of knowledge, let me share some personal experiences and make it real on why meditation and why now.
I was first introduced to meditation as part of a weekly Kabbalah class I began in 2012. During the class, we spent roughly 15-30 minutes (depending on the lesson) listening to a guided meditation (a meditation style that verbally walks you through a series of images or experiences). It was highly encouraged that we record the meditation and do it on our own – every day – between classes. And while I always had good intentions to do that, it never quite worked out. So for two years, I meditated weekly in class, and haphazardly outside of class.
Even just meditating weekly (which there’s not necessarily anything wrong with that), I was realizing palpable benefits – I felt calmer, centered, and more peaceful with a sense of confidence and surety of my being. But that feeling would fade a day or two later. When I started attending St. Thomas Christian Church (affiliated with my Kabbalah class), it provided a Sunday morning meditation which increased the frequency of those benefits.
Since I’m not a spiritual guru that can sit all day in a corner chanting Om, the problem became how to fit a daily meditation into my busy schedule. The answer – in short – is simply by recognizing this as a priority and making time. Think of when you have to pick up medicine at a pharmacy before it closes, or submit paperwork (or your taxes!) before a certain deadline. That’s the level of priority and dedication it takes to do something daily. And it’s not up to anyone else – not driven by anyone else – you have to review your life, your activities, and prioritize them.
Finally, after over two years, I did just that. I finally reached a point where I prioritized daily meditation high enough that it found a place in my daily calendar (I do a guided meditation for 30-40 minutes at 6:15am on weekdays). Mind you it’s still not 100% consistent – there’s still emergencies or extenuating circumstances that come up – but that’s rare due to my Type A level of planning. Best of all, those benefits earlier – the feelings of cool calm and collected – have increased especially with a healthy diet and regular exercise. Best of all – and something Wired Magazine pointed out in an article about meditation – daily meditation has aided in dealing with emotionally charged people and potentially stressful situations at work alongside better discernment and concentration abilities.
So why now? It’s generally recognized that the proliferation of information, pace of life, and emotionalism in society is ever-increasing (think politics, war, religion – even road rage). Wouldn’t it be nice to have a personal method that counteracts that outside world and provides a calm, thoughtful, and centered mind? Without a doubt, I believe so.
There are a variety of apps (both free and paid) available on both the iPhone and Android. I’ve heard good things about Headspace but never tried it and there’s additional meditation resources at places at Coach.me, Mindful, and Deepak Chopra. I suggest starting with a guided meditation (as it helps settle and train your mind to cope with periods of quiet solitude) for 5 minutes and then work your way up to a duration that feels comfortable to you.