As a continuation of a previous post about me being a Secular Buddhist, I wanted to outline what meditation is and why it is so important to me.
So… Let’s address the first part of the question… “What is meditation about?”
Well, according to Wikipedia, meditation is defined as…
“… a practice where an individual uses a technique – such as mindfulness, or focusing their mind on a particular object, thought or activity – to train attention and awareness, and achieve a mentally clear and emotionally calm state.”
Meditation is the means of stopping the never-ending chatter in my mind through being still, quiet and in the present moment.
For me, the desired result is a feeling of being more calm, relaxed and at peace with myself and the world around me.
The main point to realise with meditation is that you don’t get to your desired result straight away, you need to be patient with it. It takes a lot of consistent practise (the operative word being “consistent”) to achieve the desired result that you would be looking for.
However, there is a plus side to being patient and putting in the practise. The very act of practising meditation (whether you think you’re good at it or not) is just as important.
Giving meditation a go and integrating it in your life’s journey is its own reward.
Another great thing about meditation is that it can be practised by religious and non-religious people alike. This shows the versatile, and inclusive nature of meditation.
You see, meditation is for everyone and for an atheist like myself that is a good thing.
And now for the second part of the question… “Why is meditation so important to me?”
Well, right now, we live in a non-stop 24/7 world where no-one takes a break from it all and because of this, we have all become unwilling participants in a perpetual game of catch up to which there are no winners and no end in sight.
Meditation allows me to step off the treadmill and to take a break from the race. This encourages me to be a human “being” rather than a human “doing.” It allows me to be calmer, more relaxed, more at peace, less anxious and feel happier as a result of doing it.
We all need some time out every once in a while and meditation will give all of us that gift at any time that we choose to practise it.
With that in mind, imagine a world where everybody was calm, relaxed and at peace with themselves and with everyone else?
What kind of a world do you think we would we be living in? I don’t know about you, but it’s definitely a world I’d like to be living in
Anyways, if you’ve ever considered the possibility of meditation being a regular part of your daily life you should let me know so we can chat about it. I’d love to know your thoughts on the matter.
In the meantime, be still and enjoy the silence.
Peace,
Corey 🙂