The benefits of meditation
- Jürgen DV
- Mar 27, 2021
- 4 min read
Updated: Jun 10, 2021
“Praying is talking to the Universe. Meditation is listening to it.” – Paulo Coelho
Did anyone ever tell you that you’re moody? That your words hurt them?
Did you ever burst out in anger when things went wrong or when people disappointed you?
The first thing you should do when anyone ever gives you feedback like this is simply say “thank you”. Don’t argue, don’t deny, don’t justify. Just say thank you because they are giving you the great gift of feedback.
Why meditate?
“Only by detaching can we truly gain control of the mind.” – Jay Shetty
The purpose of meditation is to train your mind to extend the space between stimulus and response. The regular practice of observing your thoughts will create neural pathways that will help you to elongate this space and choose a mindful response, whatever the stimulus you receive. Think of it as if you were standing next to the highway looking at cars passing by.
Meditation increases mindfulness by teaching us to view the contents of our mind in a non-judgmental way.
I discovered that the daily meditation practice made me a kinder person, more compassionate not only to others but also to myself. It trained me to differentiate myself from my mind, making it clear that I am not what I think, I can change what I think. It also taught me to answer my inner voices of anger, fear or discomfort. It’s like building up your mental immunity by making your mindless susceptible to negative thoughts. It’s like taking your brain to the gym.
Being more compassionate towards others helps me feel less annoyed or frustrated by shortcomings, mistakes or “attacks”. In the corporate jungle, this can make the difference between coming home stressed or smiling.
Meditation is not about “controlling” the mind. It’s actually about learning to give up control and allowing the mind to let go, not judging your thoughts and feelings. Learning to observe your emotions in a non-judgmental way will help you realize that feelings like frustration are natural, they come and go like clouds before the sun. At the same time, you open up to empathy and joy.
Practicing meditation has been scientifically proven to strengthen the brain, especially the areas responsible for focused attention, self-regulation, empathy and impulse control. One study also demonstrated increased concentration levels and better test scores after two weeks of daily eight-minute meditation sessions. Our brains aren’t fixed, rigid structures but flexible, modifiable and trainable like a muscle.
A daily practice of meditation trains your brain to prevent chasing every thought, allowing you to focus, surrounded by a world full of distraction.
What is meditation?
“When it comes to meditation, though, the goal and the journey are the same thing.” Andy Puddicombe
According to headspace.com, meditation isn’t about becoming a different person, a new person, or even a better person. It’s about training in awareness and getting a healthy sense of perspective. You’re not trying to turn off your thoughts or feelings. You’re learning to observe them without judgment. And eventually, you may start to better understand them as well.
There’s no such thing as perfect meditation. Sometimes your focus will wander, or you’ll forget to follow your breath and that’s OK. It’s part of the experience. What’s most important is to meditate consistently. It’s one of those things where the journey is more important than the destination.
In essence, when you meditate, you sit comfortably and focus on your breath. During this time, your mind will wander off to other things. When this happens, simply refocus the mind on your breathing, don’t force, don’t judge. The nice thing about meditation is that anyone can meditate anywhere.
How to meditate?
“When we tune out the opinions, expectations, and obligations of the world around us, we begin to hear ourselves. - Jay Shetty”
Basic meditation:
A basic meditation takes about 10’ – 20’.
You take a couple of minutes to slow down, find a comfortable chair and set a timer (I like to use the guided meditation on the Headspace app, but others – like my wife – may find the voice annoying and prefer total silence, using a gentle timer to mark the end of their session). You can sit or lay down any way you’re comfortable as long as your back is straight, and you’ll not be disturbed.
The next step is to check in with your body. Softly focusing your eyes, take a couple of deep breaths (in through the nose, out through the mouth) and with the third exhale, gently let your eyes close. Notice the sounds, smells and come to peace with your surroundings.
Now take a couple of minutes to draw awareness to your body, scanning it from head to toe, creating an image of how your body feels.
The next step is to shift your focus on the breath. Take a couple of seconds to observe everything about your breath as you breathe in and out. Silently count the in-breath as one and the out-breath as two and continue breathing and counting until you reach ten. Repeat this exercise for 10’ – 20’. If you get distracted, gently bring your attention back to the breath and continue counting.
When the timer goes off, let your mind totally free for a couple of seconds.
Then bring your focus back to the physical sensations of your body and your environment. Allow this awareness and newly created space to stay with you for the entire day.
“The best way to take care of the future is to take care of the present moment.” Thich Nhat Hanh
The advantages of meditation are significant and scientifically proven. Meditation takes no effort, costs nothing and is guaranteed support on your path of self-improvement.
A daily meditation practice will train your mind to be more compassionate, focused and in control, all essential leadership characteristics. Just beware … the mindfulness you get from meditation could actually change your life!
Take care & stay safe,
Jürgen
Inspired by:
Altered Traits - Daniel Goleman and Richard J. Davidson
Get Some Headspace - Andy Puddicombe ( Meditation and Sleep Made Simple - Headspace )
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