The 5 W’s of Meditation- Part I

What is Meditation?

We all know that Meditation can be a huge help to us as we learn how to increase happiness, decrease stress, connect more fully to ourselves and loved ones and find a sense of peacefulness in this crazy world of ours. The tricky thing is, if you are like most people I know, you have heard hundreds, maybe even thousands of interpretations as to what Meditation is “supposed” to be.

Meditation is often thought to be about quieting the mind, losing the sense of self and becoming one with the unity of “all that is”. This may be the end result of a disciplined practitioner. This type of experience is similar to the grace one feels during a moment of epiphany. The light bulb goes off and we get a sense of warmth and light throughout our body, head to toe. However, for the average Joe or Jane, this is not what happens when we first close our eyes and breathe.

So many people resist trying meditation in their lives because they don’t want to “do it wrong.” They think, “I’m not the kind of person who can get anywhere just by sitting quietly. What’s the point?” This type of limiting thinking gets in the way of a skill that is a great tool in our lives. We can decrease anxiety, increase self love and learn how to slow down even when our lives seem to be full steam ahead, allowing for better decision making and more productive days.

So let’s address What Meditation Is, shall we?

My take on meditation is easy. It is really any act that connects the conscious mind of the experiencing individual to that life energy that supports us. This life energy can be found within the individual, in other people in our lives, between one another and in the world at large. It is everywhere. It is always accessible. It is, as Eckhart Tolle says, as non-discriminatory as the light of the Sun.

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