It’s a bit trendy these days. Something about needing to slow down, taking a break from all the media, getting quiet. Anyone remember long afternoons outside just…being outside? Somewhere along the way Busy took over. Returning to quiet and stillness might be the best way to survive this world.
I’ll just write about my experiences. First, a confession. I don’t have 10, 000 hours of mastery in sitting still. I have plenty of hours gawking at trees, contemplating stuff I read, and giving people silent love. You might call any of that meditation, which means ‘bringing attention,’ same root as medicine. Sitting still is considered the most potent form of meditation~ I’ll let you know how it goes with 2+ hours a day in the ashrams.
Why bother? You mostly hear about concentration and focus, disciplining the mind. Meditation shows me what I think about~the train of worry, obsessing, planning, remembering, fantasizing…. This transfers to everyday life, where I notice what my mind is doing. If there’s a mishap or inconvenience, I look for an opportunity rather than getting tweaked or emotional. When I DO get triggered, that’s a different opportunity~ one where I OWN it and explore why.
Which leads me to the point. One of the outcomes of having a meditation practice is that you begin to eliminate drama and conflict in your life. Because when those are present, they show up and TAKE OVER your meditation time. So, to eliminate obsessing and worrying, you STOP doing the stuff that causes it.
Ok, we still have families, friends, and jobs that take us there and give us those triggering opportunities. I’m just saying we can work at filtering out experiences, relationships, and even jobs that cause mental suffering. When we aren’t able to eliminate something, we have other coping tools, like compassion, clear communication, and meditation time cultivating the equilibrium to remain strong and kind.
Those hours of sitting still are going to take me somewhere deeper. Just hope I have the words for it.