What is meditation? And why should we do it?

Meditation is the practice of contemplation. It is not a turning off of the mind, but rather the art of observing it, without becoming identified with it. It is not something to be mastered in a few sessions but shows it’s value over time. As one continues to practise, self-awareness grows and besides getting to know yourself better, you become more ‘at one’ with your external world as well.

An extension of this, is what is known as mindfulness. A feeling of presence and appreciation for the present moment and being able to more easily live out of this state. Learning how to give your full attention to what you are doing, without being distracted by thoughts of: what you have to get from the shops that afternoon; the deadline you have for work tomorrow; mummy guilt for saying “No” to a play date yesterday….add any other thousand things that may run through your mind at any given moment.

Joy comes from giving yourself the freedom to appreciate and enjoy each moment of what you are doing. Whether that is sipping tea, doing the washing up or walking on the beach. Allowing yourself that freedom comes more easily, the more we learn how to quieten the noise of our thoughts and find a measure of detachment from them.

Meditation really helps us to find that quiet space within, where we become the observer of reality as it is, without judgement or fear. It is not, as you may think, sitting in a complete vacuum. With time and practice, meditation is a dynamic, highly aware and peaceful state. At first, when you begin to sit for some quiet time, you may find yourself bombarded with hundreds of thoughts all clamouring to have your attention at once…THIS IS NORMAL!

Just keep at it! It is called a meditation practice for a reason…you need to do it regularly to really reap the rewards. Meditation has been shown to help improve health in a number of ways. Its benefits in stress reduction are well documented and considering the amount of impact on our health that stress has…it is a no brainer!

For more information on how to meditate, check out my ‘Meditation’ page to find out details for my next Meditation Course.