Let’s Talk Health: Meditation

Hey y’all! It feels like it’s been forever since we last spoke! I was in Austin, TX last week for a bachelor’s weekend and between traveling, near-death experiences, and general camaraderie was unable to write. So it feels good to be back in action. This week we’re going to be talking about a topic near and dear to my heart. So pull up a chair and let’s talk meditation.

What is meditation?

Meditation, at its core, is awareness training. There are a bunch of different types, that serve a myriad of purposes, from just being more in tune with the moment to transcendence of human consciousness (we’re going to be focusing on the former, which is generally just called mindfulness). But the root practice is the same: just pay attention. Which sounds pretty weird, but we’ll get more into that in a second.

Many people consider meditation to be esoteric or only done by monks in Tibetan monasteries. To some, it probably seems incredibly spiritual, and not very practical to everyday life. And while it can be a very immaterial experience, it’s pragmatic usages cannot be understated.

Awareness is key in all aspects of life, but it starts from within

Self-awareness is one of those topics that people talk about, but don’t entirely understand. It’s about knowing oneself: our interests, our likes/dislikes, dreams/goals, how foods affect your overall feeling, etc. Knowing all of that information allows us to guide ourselves, to take action that aligns us with our life goals, and to just understand how we affect the world and how the world affects us. It also helps us realize how our inner world impacts our outer world, and how our thoughts drive our inner selves. I know that sounds kinda foo-foo, but bear with me.

We think A LOT. And every single one of those thoughts plays a role in shaping who we are. Most of us aren’t even aware of how much goes through our minds daily. Even more importantly, we don’t even consider the nature of our thoughts.

Imagine the mind as a garden (check out The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari, it’s a great read). Each thought that passes through it is a seed being planted. If similar notions continuously make their way in, then they nourish those around them, and they all grow. This means that every idea or thought physically alters our brains, and it becomes easier to continue that line of thinking. Even if someone suffers from depression, anxiety, or another mental illness that makes it harder to control one’s thinking, we should still attempt it. It’s already hard enough, and we shouldn’t make it any harder for ourselves.

We can apply the garden analogy to learning literally anything (I’m going to use calculus as an example because it lowkey gives me nightmares). When we first learn how to take a derivative, the seed is planted. We might not remember instantly how to do it, but we know what it is. As we continue to practice, eventually it gets to the point where we can do it seamlessly. Thinking works the same way, except with more consequences.

We can’t fix our thinking if we aren’t aware of it

Since what we think creates our inner world and that gives birth to our outer world, we must be in the driver’s seat of our thoughts. We can’t do that if we’re unaware of that process. Enter meditation. On top of making us aware of processes we can control, like our thoughts, it also shows us what is outside of our control. That’s one of the foundational ideas of many philosophies and religions, like Buddhism and Stoicism.

So how do we meditate?

Practicing mindfulness is cool for a few reasons: it’s simple in concept (but not easy), doesn’t take much time, and has a massive impact. The utility of it has led to its recent rise in popularity. Which is pretty dope, because that means there are TONS of resources and apps out there to make our meditation journey easier. Some of the best apps I’ve seen out there are Headspace, Calm, and Waking Up.

So, based on what I’ve seen, Headspace and Calm are probably the best for beginners. All three of these apps are paid, but I feel like having guided meditations is incredibly helpful, and these apps definitely help step you through what you’re supposed to be doing and why. Waking Up is good for the extra lessons provided by Sam Harris. But if you’re not trying to pay, then you can always look some up on Youtube, like this one.

If you want to tackle it on your own, here’s a quick starter guide. But to begin, you want to sit in a chair and get comfortable. Don’t lie down, you might fall asleep (I used to do that A LOT). Be sure to block off some time where you won’t be disturbed. Set a timer on your phone (I’d suggest 5 minutes to start, and then increase the time as you feel comfortable), close your eyes, and focus on your breath. And as thoughts arise, don’t judge or feel any way about them. Just observe them for a second, then return to focusing on your breathing. That’s it. Simple, but not easy. But definitely worth the effort.

The hard part about it is not forcing anything. When we meditate, we’re not controlling the breath. Rather, we are observing. That was a hard concept for me to grasp. We’re so used to having to do things, to having to be involved. In this case, we’re still involved, but we’re just noticing things happen, instead of making them happen. Which leads to my personal favorite part about meditation.

It teaches us to live in the moment

It’s important to learn from the past and to plan for the future. There’s no denying that. But living in either of those places is a recipe for disaster. Focusing perpetually on what has happened or what might occur prevents us from doing the most important thing: be present. To me, presence is the most important part of life, because being where you are allows you to enjoy life as it is.

We live in times where we’re always going and doing and working. But that doesn’t always permit us to just cherish. To just appreciate what we have and the beauty in our lives. And that’s really what life is about, isn’t it? It’s not about working a 9-5 just to go home and waste away. We aren’t just passing time while we wait to die. Life is about taking this opportunity we’ve been given, no matter what cards we’re dealt, and making the best of it. So meditate. Incorporate it into your self-care routine. Grow your awareness. And learn to just enjoy.

Thanks for talking humans with me today. How is your meditation practice going? Drop a comment below with your answer. Don’t forget to subscribe and share. Catch y’all next week! Peace!!