There has been a meditation boom recently. I am sure you all have heard other people saying they meditate, or wish they meditated more, or maybe saw an ad for a meditation retreat. For many the thought of meditation brings to mind images of red robed monks sitting on a mountain top and not moving for hours. Even refusing to eat anything. But trust me, it is not the actual scenario. It it quite different.
I personally picked up meditation about a year ago. I really could not tell you why I did it, but I did it. All I know is that when I started . I used to do it very frequently made it a habit just a year ago.
After I broke my streak, I fell off the wagon for a bit. It was the end of my first year in college at that point of time. I became very busy with the upcoming second year, projects, internships and just did not make time to meditate. At that point, I had been at it for long enough that I could apply the principles of mindfulness to my daily life without necessarily setting aside specific time to meditate.
During the middle of my second year, meditation has become an invaluable habit in my life. Sometimes I even meditate twice per day.
I am a regular person like you. Sometimes I struggle to do things that I know I need to do, or I am unsure of what I should be doing with my life. I have struggled with depression and still struggle with anxiety. Meditation has impacted every single aspect of my life in a positive way. It has made me much more aware of my thoughts, of who I am and what I want, of what makes me happy and what I struggle with. I cannot think of anyone who would not find benefits in meditating. Not to overhype it or anything, but it really is this little ten minutes rituals that changes the entire rest of your day.
If you decide to start meditating, I recommend using a guided meditation for at least the first few weeks. Find something that really works for you. Meditation has helped to be less anxious. Instead of completely avoiding a situation that previously would have triggered my anxiety, I can now take a minute or five to steps back and breathe through the panic.
Meditation has in no way cured my anxiety completely, I do not think that is even possible, but it has given me a very useful tool to control it and be more able to go about my life without serious disruption or inconvenience.
Picking up the practice of meditation has definitely made me a much happier person. Because meditation focuses on continually pulling yourself back to the present, I have become more able to face the present rather thinking of the past!
Meditation has helped me so much in learning who I am. Meditation helps you to know yourself. There is a disconnect between what our thoughts are and what we want, and what the world wants for us or from us. By meditating and becoming a more mindful person, you gain the ability to know yourself and what really brings you happiness in order to intentionally choose a path in life that is right for you.
Instead of letting your thoughts and impulses control you, meditation helps you to collect the information that you need, and prevent all of the extra crap from happening, hopefully leading to a much happier and more fulfilling life that brings you genuine joy every single day.
