At a more sophisticated level, practising meditation can also help you move along a deeper, more philosophical pathway allowing you to experience personal insights and an unfolding of the higher qualities of the human condition.
This isn’t to suggest that meditation is some kind of difficult and esoteric discipline that can only be mastered by a few monks in a cave in the Himalayas. Far from it, meditation is a strategy for dealing with life’s pressures that can be learnt by everyone, in minutes.
How long will it take?
However the practise isn’t something you can try for a year and then say you have accomplished an end result. You will have gained immeasurably in ways you probably wouldn’t even realise. But really, there is no end to it once you begin – there are only levels of awareness and a gradual unfolding of knowledge. The more you do it, the more you gain. If you stop you won’t go backwards but why stop? There would have to be a limit to the human mind and spirit for there to be an end point in a meditation practise.
How do we meditate?
If you have never tried meditation before then a good way to begin is to use a common object such as candle. Make arrangements so that you will not be disturbed for ten to thirty minutes – take the phone off the hook and minimise any distractions that you can. Settle yourself about three feet away from the candle itself and get yourself into a comfortable position. The candle should be lit as the flame will be the object of your attention for this exercise.
Should I be thinking?
As you sit, breathe slowly in and out and let your breath become deep and even without any sense of being in a hurry. Gently let go of any thoughts you have about your day so far and focus on the candle flame. Let any thoughts come and go without analysing them. You shouldn’t be trying to “think” too much – this isn’t about working anything out with your brainpower- it isn’t a puzzle to be solved. Don’t be distracted by random thoughts but let them be and float away. The more you let go of these thoughts the less they will fight for your attention. The more you resist them, the stronger they will seem. Every time you are distracted, patiently refocus on the candle flame. Our purpose here is to let our awareness of the world around us diminish and our mind to become calm and poised.
Practise once per day, either early morning or evening, before you become too tired to concentrate and after several days you will find the whole thing becoming easier and easier. With time, you will notice a greater sense of awareness, not just about yourself but about everything in your world and with that comes a greater ability to deal with the trials and tribulations in our daily lives in a peaceful and effective manner.