Many of us have certainly experienced this that our mind is always jumping ahead or lagging behind, but it is never in the moment, why? Because it is constantly chattering or wandering, as a result of which it robs us of being in the moment and living life totally. So, how can we live totally when our mind is chattering to itself even while we are engaged in daily activities? The simple solution to this problem is “Meditation”, YES! Meditation helps us to train our thoughts to stay in the present moment, because in the present moment there is true peace.
Just like we cannot be taught how to sleep, it is not possible to teach someone how to meditate, because it’s so natural that it cannot be forced. In simple words, meditation is the cultivation of self awareness. The effectiveness of our actions and interactions within our relationships with others begins with the quality of our thoughts and decisions.
Without self awareness we cannot see whether we are doing well or not so well at the levels of our own thoughts and feelings. In fact, the vast majority of people cannot even see that it is the self and not someone else who creates their thoughts and feelings! So when we fall under the illusion that others are responsible for what we think and feel, and therefore for what we do, we end up creating a stressful life as we become dependent on external sources of stimulation in order to ‘feel’ OK.
With regular practice of meditation, we will gradually learn to lessen our dependence on external ‘things’ for our feelings and begin to live life with much independence. It is important to reiterate that meditation is a process, and as such, takes time. So, we need to have patience, perseverance and faith in ourselves in order to develop and deepen our meditation experience. Remember! ultimately only you can teach yourself, coz the learning does not come from outside in but from inside out. Even if you fall down numerous times while learning to ride a cycle, your parents won’t give up hope. The same is valid for meditation. Please keep in mind, nobody can stabilize their mind the first few times, however with practise it becomes a normal course of life. Alas, it is not sufficient to just read about it. Just get up & start meditating today!
