Meditation - Value and Challenge
/OK, so we all know that simple and slower living always promotes the positive value of meditation. But, lets face it, for many our immediate response to the mere thought of mediation can range across:
been there done that - doesn't work for me!
I’m not sitting cross legged on the floor chanting - what if someone sees me - I will feel like a goose.
I don’t get it - I just don't see that it would benefit - its all a bit hippy and happy clappy
OK - not sure about this or that I can do it - but let’s give it a try.
Rather surprisingly, I’m going to promote the last one - astounding huh? For any doubters out there, meditation can be a truly wonderful experience and hopefully this post will get you to try it out or perhaps give it another go (perhaps with less of a burden of expectations).
Now, lets be honest - if we start our meditation journey thinking “wow, I’m about to find enlightenment (birds singing, harps ringing out and a golden light, I will feel at one with everything)” - well…firstly good on you for having a vision…secondly, perhaps rain it in a little initially. I’m not saying this isn’t possible - but let’s be honest it’s likely to end in a level of disappointment for most of us.
For many years the western media presented meditation as this unfathomable practice that sought to provide the person with access to enlightenment or nirvana. Meditation is generally far more subtle in its impact…it really is a slow burn…it takes time to get into the swing of the practice and/or feel the benefit. That said, if you enter into the practice mindfully, balance your expectations, and slowly and intentionally persist, it can be such an astonishingly rewarding experience - truly refreshing your body, mind and soul.
However, before we move on, lets deal with the other elephant in the room. Yes, meditation can also be frustrating, it is at times challenging and seemingly so very, very elusive. There are occasions when, no matter how I position myself physically and mentally, no matter how I seek to settle into it the experience and let go my thoughts, it just doesn’t work - for whatever reason the body and mind can’t relax and races around - sometimes at increasing pace.
In those moments, acknowledging the challenge I’m having, I simply let go thinking of the meditation and sit with my eyes closed, letting my mind wander wherever it wants. Usually it races around for a bit, similar to letting your dog off its leash - it gallops about, distractedly sniffing at various things. After a while - just like the dog let off the leash - it returns quieter and calmer. Sometimes this act is enough for me to slip back into the moment and return to my meditation.
Other times, it just doesn’t work - which is fine - I have come to accept these moments. I have at the very least, sat quietly for a few moments, with my eyes closed, in my own space - a not inconsiderable moment in our seemingly ever hectic lives. I don’t come away thinking it was a waste of time - often it’s the practice, the very act of doing, that sometimes counts for so much more than the intended or anticipated outcome. And then of course…there is next time, there is alway next time.
You see it doesn’t need to be perfect or wonderful every time - is anything in life always perfect? But, what brings me back again and again is the undeniable benefit I feel to my body, my mind, my very soul. It leaves me with a sense of greater clarity and grounding. Now before anyone thinks I’m some sort of ninja mediation expert who took to it in leaps and bounds - no I didn't really. I’ve dallied with meditation a few times over a number of years. These experiences have varied across finding it:
nigh impossible - this was after reading a book on buddhism and it suggested emptying the mind of all thought - well we can all guess what that does…it was so frustrating as even when you empty your mind you celebrate internally and you’re back to square one with thoughts, again and again…
incredibly moving - a course for work included a couple of meditation sessions. Based on my previous experience I went into this with scepticism dialled up to 10. But it was the most wonderful and memorable experience. It involved visualisation and a body scan exercise which really left body charged and buzzing with electricity!
So, I’ve flowed in and out of meditation over time. Each time I’ve come back to it I have found greater sense of value and worth. Ultimately, I have found a rhythm that works (most times) for me. My mediation provides a platform for a greater sense of mindfulness. At the end of each session I generally feel energised, balanced, ready to calmly face the day no matter what challenges arise - though of course sometimes the challenges get the better of me (see, I have no cape or ninja suit - just vulnerability with a dash of resolve and balance). I can still drift in and out of practice from time to time, ever so briefly, but I always return.
The element that I’m often quietly surprised by is the way my breathing slows, quite unconsciously during some meditation. I find this, time and time again when I practice a slow and mindful body scan. The focus of the mind is turned to the body, focusing on feeling or sensing different parts - the toes, ankle, calves and so on… The mind is no longer thinking of the breath anymore. So, as I bring the scan to a close and come back to the present moment, acknowledging where I’m sitting and the sounds around me, it’s only then that I become truly conscious of how my breathing has slowed incredibly during the meditation, often to an astonishingly slow, shallow and calm state.
Not all of us will take to meditation. That’s fine. The point is to give it a try and see whether or how it might work for you. In the words of Robert Bruce, “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again”.
I’ve written a separate post about the practice of meditation and some techniques that I found to be helpful in finding my pathway into meditation. Take a look, I feel sure there will be something there for you, particularly if you’re just starting out. And even if you’re on your well on your way, there may be nuggets that you find valuable.
Now, go find that quiet place, get comfortable, close your eyes and breathe…just breathe.
