Associated with the lotus flower position, sitting for hours in pure silence, and the hues of incense filling your space while mind-over-matter flows in waves through your grey cells. The dogma that comes with meditation is more encompassing than the generic public view and what it entails.
When I first was introduced to the art of meditation, many moons ago, I went all out. A small, Buddhist temple in the north of Chiang Mai welcomed me with serene arms. One day in 1998, I entered into their realm of getting the hang of its foundations. White clothes, a mat to sleep on, 1 hour of talking for one day, and following my teacher in becoming mindful. I was gearing up to get into a meditative state of mind with fellow zen seekers surrounding me quietly.
The intensity overwhelmed me and questions like “is this really something for me?” or “will I be able to continue this without guidance?” arose.
I now look back at this with a progressive thought pattern. For me, meditation is an invitation to explore your own self to push back stress levels. For me, the spindle around meditation is to increase happiness, and promote a sense of calm and control. There are no rules when seeking the above. Meditation is what suits your needs and preferences.
So why continue doing something that does not work and one cannot support sustainably?
Yes, for some, getting locked up for days in a dedicated retreat. They dive really deep to explore their inner depths of mind, body, and soul – may perfectly fit their path to find whatever they want to achieve. Namasteto those! And if you do not give it a go, you may not know if it works for you.
For me, it is all about taking a step back and find what relaxes me. I found my ways that do not follow the more conventional definition of meditation to get into an awakened state of being. Breathing definitely helps me, reading, just moving around, watching the sun setting (or rising), and listening to music with my noise-cancelling headphones on.
Even if it is only for 15 -20 minutes, and the calming effect kicks in. It brings a smile to my face. It makes me forget all the stressful situations of the past and present.
When stepping on my coaching path to thrive, we will find ways that work well and practices that will not direct you to the Holy Grail. If you accept that making changes in existing habits to reach your goal comes with deviations, obstacles and wrong turns, there are always ways to get you back on track. And that suit you.
If it is too complex to maintain, it probably is too complex.
Just like how I have experimented and finally found my meditative preferences, so can you. I just scaled it down, broke it even further down into smaller pieces and use it as a base to grow my happiness factor.
Your calm mind is the ultimate weapon against your challenges. So relax. | Bryant McGill