The Surprising Influence of Meditation -22 Aug 2021
Hey Friends,
It has been a thoughtful and highly productive week for me. Last week, I talked about overcoming depression and the feeling of getting stuck. I realised that one way to feel better and more focused is by doing regular meditation.
My approach to meditation has always been biased and mostly negative. I thought it was a kind of religious practice and spirituality focused ritual. I stayed away from it since I don’t think that it can add value to my life. It turns out that meditation is so helpful to live more profoundly and make a real connection with one’s mind.
I am quite new to this. I have only watched Headspace Guide to Meditation on Netflix which teaches you the principles and guides you through the experience. A couple of Youtube videos talking about the examples of meditating celebrities or their journey. Also, I read notes of Bill Gates why he is into meditation which I strongly recommend you to read.
Although I have been meditating only this week, I would like to share some of the benefits that I personally have witnessed.
It relaxes the body and mind
With the constant exercise of breathing, you learn how to listen to and observe your body. You realise the existence and the value of some parts and organs. You may understand whether you are calm, stressed or anxious. Then, you can take care of them if they need to be fixed.
It allows you to focus
Our minds are distracted by the constant input from outside worlds whether it’s social media, work, podcasts or Netflix. The content we consume rapidly affects our minds as if we eat only junk food. The dopamine is getting released whenever we like an Instagram post or see a funny joke on Twitter. Our minds are under the occupation of different thoughts and images from all angles. The period of attention has significantly reduced. This makes it harder to focus on things that really matter to us. During meditation, you close your eyes and let your thoughts airborne. They come and go but you don’t force them to leave or remain. You just watch it and think about your breathing. Sometimes you count them, sometimes you only deeply inhale and exhale. Then, puff the distraction clouds disperse. A much clear view for eyes and mind.
It gives you a moment of reflection
Our lives are busy. Friends, family, school, work, personal occupations are covering most of our time. At the end of the day, we don’t even understand how the hours have flown or even later how all these years have passed. Going with the flow without even realising is very common and resisting it is pretty difficult without being conscious about it. So, meditation encourages you to think about the moment and want you to stay there for a while. How are you feeling, what are you wanting from this particular moment, what do you expect from the rest of your day? These are the questions that you happen to be asking yourself. This creates a motivation for reflection. Then you start pondering about many deep topics. What do you want? Where do you see yourself? Are you on track for your goals? What makes you happy and feel satisfied.
