Meditation
I remember getting into meditation at least a decade ago, along with a friend. The reason I remember is not that I got started with meditation, but because I was not successful. However, my friend was in bliss. He had achieved that state of calm and peace that I intended to achieve too. So, for me, it was like he got through the first time while I was not good enough to nail the process.
However, over the years after that first time, I realized that it was not just me, but many like me who weren’t able to succeed the first time they attempted meditation. So, I was not alone. What I didn’t know was the process to succeed. But now, I know.
Let’s explore the aspect of succeeding in meditation together.
Guided Meditation
When I started a decade ago, YouTube did not have any popular channels talking about meditation or even guiding its followers. So, I had to read through books on how to meditate. It helped to a good extent, but the failure was on my part to recognize that it was working. The mind was discarding any successes as “nothing-at-all” outcome, and therefore, I was in abeyance over meditation.
There was still that need to meditate because almost all successful people did it. But that was not all - many attributed their success to meditation. With that kind of endorsement, I couldn’t stop until I succeeded. My endeavour to succeed kept me searching. And then it happened.
I found this channel on YouTube, which helped me with the guided meditation. But why guided meditation and not meditation directly? Well, consider guided meditation as a cycle with side wheels for balancing. Just like you learn cycling with those extra wheels, so also we learn to meditate with a guided meditation. Once we are proficient, then we can let go off those extra wheels. The same applies to a guided meditation.
Why Guided Meditation?
The thing with people attempting meditation for the first time is to quiet the mind. For this, the person needs to focus on something to prevent the mind’s distractions. However, that is the tough part. To focus when the mind chatter is on is an extremely tough job. This is where guided meditation helps.
Since the person guiding us in the meditation is speaking, our mind is automatically focused on the instructions being spoken out. That enables us to stay focused and do what is asked of us to do. And in that, we can get on with the meditation. That’s the good part of guided meditations.
And that’s how I got started for good. It is a matter of time that I can meditate without a need for guidance. Besides, I can always fall back as I need guidance.
But Why Meditation At All?
A quiet, calm and peaceful mind allows us to think straight. It becomes a conduit for inspiration and a force in implementation. Also, science has proven that people who are saddled with the constant chatter of the mind (which, by the way, is our upbringing and not us) live an unhappy and stressful life. And stress alone is one of the greatest serial killers of humankind. So, meditation teaches us to use our mind for our benefit rather than allow it to rage against us. That’s the best part about meditation.
Think about it: why live a life of constant battle with your own mind instead of combining forces? A life of combined force could be ten to twenty times more effective than one where we are in a constant tussle with ourselves. Meditation helps us to align with ourselves.
So, that’s it. Get going and get meditating!!
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Image Courtesy: Activedia @pixabay
