Meditation: A Journey Within

Each day of our lives, we go through a variety of experiences. Some experiences are good while some are bad. The good experiences give us pleasure while the bad ones give us learning. No experience in life goes waste. Often our perception gets distorted and we start complaining about our life experiences. However, what complaining does is, it further aggravates the situation making it worse. Not only do we begin to lose our life-force by being critical, we are also unable to focus on the problem at hand to deal with appropriately. When our life-force depletes, we are unable to be creative and solution-oriented. And in order to deal with the problem that is what is required. When we are focusing on the solution, we are more likely to realize what we need to do next and then go ahead to simply do it. In order to adapt to such approach we need to stay persistent, disciplined and focused. There are a variety of ways to cultivate such an ideal condition of the mind, for example one of the way is Meditation. Like any vaccine prepares our immune system in order to prevent developing any disease by the body when the environment around is infectious. Similarly, meditation works on the mind and prepares us to deal with adversities and challenging circumstances.

Meditation leads to peace of mind, tranquility and decreased stress. Making meditation a daily ritual makes us resilient in the face of difficulties. We are better able to cultivate a relaxed state, which is yet focused and alert and that allows us to naturally experience positive virtues like love, peace and compassion. Practicing meditation on a daily basis creates a habit of presence, attention and focus. Meditation makes us aware of our thoughts, inner dialogue, feelings and deep seated emotions. The more one meditates, the more likely one is to face life circumstances with equilibrium, poise and ease.

There are different types of meditation techniques:

• Spiritual Meditation: This type of meditation involves chanting prayers and mantras and bringing one’s complete attention to the cycles of repetition. This type of meditation is an essential part of Eastern spiritual traditions such as Buddhism.
• Mindfulness Meditation: This type of meditation involves fully acknowledging one’s reality by being mindful of one’s body and thoughts. Each thought that arises is simply observed without judgment or manipulation. This leads us to appreciate the present moment. It also involves focusing on the incoming and outgoing breath and whenever the mind wanders, simply bringing one’s attention back to one’s breath.
• Movement Meditation: This technique can be associated with yoga, Tai-chi or any other martial arts. This meditation brings mind-body alignment by linking and synchronizing breath with the movement.
• Visualization Meditation: In this type of meditation one may visualize anything that brings peace and calm to one’s mind like mountains, rivers, water-fall, plants, trees, butterflies etc. This kind of guided imagery creates an altered state of consciousness that sends ripples of relaxation into the deeper layers of the mind.

All such meditation practices are meant to reach the depths of the sub-conscious mind that is the part of the mind which controls 90% of the events of our life. Gradually, with practice the unconscious negative feelings are uncovered and they naturally melt away. Such rituals when done consciously are sure to bring significant changes in one’s life that slowly becomes permanent.