“Meditation is the experience of the limitless nature of the mind when it ceases to be dominated by its usual mental chatter.” – David Fontana, Ph.D.
Who would have thought that spending quality alone time in a quiet environment could produce a dramatic positive impact on one’s wellbeing. Like anything else that is worthwhile, it is something that takes practice on a regular basis to produce a sustained effect. The challenge is to be able to sit with yourself and get to a point of creating a calm and quiet mind that allows for a deeper connection to your true self. In order to achieve the meditative state, we need to break through the constant thoughts and other distractions that keep us in our worries and never-ending chatter. Once we get past the mindless chatter, we recognize that these mindless chatter distractions are really not so tough after all. We can break through to the other side. And once we are there for just a brief time, it is enough time to realize that this is a good place to be and worth being there more often.
There are compelling reasons to make meditation a daily practice. By quieting the endless chatter from our minds, we are able to be mindful in the moment, which over time gives way to stillness and uncovering our natural state of mind. Spend more time “being” and less time “doing” and the answers to many of life’s questions can be found within us. Yet most people in our society seek answers through external people, objects and events. There needs to be a balance between our outer and inner worlds so that we can spend our precious time on this earth doing the things that are most important to ourselves. This leads to uncovering and living the life that we were truly meant to live.
It is a challenge to keep track of our thoughts as the mind effortlessly drifts from the subject we want to focus on. This lack of focus is what makes it a challenge to practice compassion, which requires a deep focus, as it goes against our habitual flow of mind patterns. The practice of meditation can help move us from a scattered thought structure, a deep-seeded habit, towards one that opens our minds to a new way of seeing the world around us. Implementing a regular meditation practice into daily life offers an opportunity to positively affect our long-standing thought-filled behaviors.
So do not delay. Start your meditation practice today.