You’ve probably seen lots of pictures of meditation. It’s everywhere, isn’t it?
You see it while you’re in line at the grocery store…
Health food stores almost always promote meditation for stress reduction…
Netflix did an entire guide on meditation from Headspace…
Let’s not even get started with Facebook…
Everywhere you look, people are talking about meditation…
Katy Perry’s talking about meditation…
Pope Francis is talking about meditation…
So what is meditation? I’m sure you’re excited to find out, so let’s get started!
What is Meditation?
There are many types of meditation. And so, many people have their own opinion about what meditation is. Luckily, I wrote an entire post about what meditation is and how to do it.
Maybe you don’t want to click over to that page, so I’ll convey some of the details here….
For the most part, meditation is sitting quietly, closing your eyes as you turn your attention inward, away from the external stimulation of the senses, and focus your mind, usually on your breathing, but sometimes on a sound, word, or phrase.
Most American’s think of India or the Buddha or Zen meditation when they think of meditation, because so much of what we know about meditation in the United States has come from the East.
But the truth is, you’re an expert meditator. It’s true! In fact, you’ve already meditated, you just don’t realize it…
Wait…I’m already meditating?
Yep…that’s right! You’ve already experienced meditation, maybe you just don’t know it…
In fact, people meditate on all sorts of things. Like Netflix and chocolate. Yum!
Because meditation is simply focusing your mind on a particular thing, you have all sorts of experience with this. Hafiz, a fourteenth century poet said it this way:
“What do sad people have in common? It seems they have all built a shrine to the past and often go there and do a strange wail and worship. What is the beginning of Happiness? It is to stop being so religious like that.”
Every time you have a thought and you can’t get that thought out of your head, you’re meditating.
Every time you find yourself thinking about the past or worrying about the future, you’re meditating.
If you’re thinking sad thoughts, and you keep repeating them over and over, isn’t that a form of worship, as Hafiz suggests?
So the question I have is this: what are you currently meditating on? And what would you choose to meditate on if given the choice?
It’s All About Making Conscious Choices
Well, now that you know what meditation is, and that you’re already doing it, you really have no excuse now. It all comes down to make a conscious choice…
Are you just going to keep binging Netflix and eating chocolate?
Look, even if it’s just doing a 5-minute meditation every day, I’m going to challenge you to participate in the practice of meditation.
You do have a choice! Make a conscious choice about what you choose to meditate on.
When you do, you’ll start receiving all the benefits that come with a meditation practice. And that just leads me into the next segment!
The Benefits of Meditation