by Dorothy M. Neddermeyer, PhD…
Most people believe meditation is an endurance test – the longer one can sit still in a peaceful pose, the more spiritual one is. Many people believe that meditation needs to be practiced in a serene, beautiful retreat, far from everyday life.
It is understandable that some people have these beliefs, because our spiritual heritage has been passed down by monks, nuns, hermits and prophets – people who renounced ordinary life to spend many years in silent contemplation.
With scientific research our understanding of meditation is changing. Research has confirmed that the benefits of meditation are not simply esoteric or spiritual, but practical as well.
Laboratory experiments and psychological studies reveal that meditation can improve mood, decrease anxiety, alleviate depression, lower blood pressure, strengthen the immune system and promote optimism and resilience.
More and more people believe that the benefits of meditation need to be available in a variety of settings and processes. Furthermore, the practice of meditation needs to be done everywhere – whether we are stuck in traffic, starting a business or tending to children. Many people are bringing meditation or meditative principles into their relationships, parenting and work, and see a need for more meditative approaches in politics, business decisions and public conversations. Gone is the belief that meditation can only be practiced in specific precise poses with the right music and ambiance.
The more quickly you can be peaceful and relaxed with fewer props you need to achieve a state of peacefulness, the better. Let me be the first to tell you that not only is it possible to meditate in the moment, but essential that you do.
You might yearn to be peaceful in the future – at the end of the day, on the weekend, after the kids grow up, when you retire. Or you imagine being peaceful somewhere else – in church, in a park, on a deserted beach. But when you believe you need to be someplace else, you fail to create peace of mind in the moment. You let yourself off the hook of creating peace of mind in the now. This is an especially self-defeating form of procrastination, for the moment you are in is the only moment there is and when you most need to be peaceful.
When you think that peacefulness takes a lot of time, or will come only in the future, you are focusing on becoming peaceful rather than being peaceful. You are keeping yourself in a state of wanting, and a state of wanting is, by definition, not a state of being or having. It is a state of lack. A state of lack creates stress.
When you believe that you need to meditate for a long time in order to become peaceful, you are creating more stress for yourself, It is like throwing a ball out in front of you, then racing to catch it, and if you do catch it, immediately throwing it out again – while also complaining that you don’t have the ball.
On a deep level, if your sense of contentment is dependent on circumstances, then it is vulnerable to a change of circumstances. If you are only content when life is going well, you cannot be content when life is difficult. This is not a stable or deep kind of contentment. True contentment transcends the ups and downs of life.
It is important to embrace the moment, with all its imperfections. In other words, the only way to be truly peaceful is to be fully content with what is right now – even if sometimes, it is not what you desire.
In the words of spiritual teacher, Krishnamurti, “It is now or never.” This does not mean that if you are not feeling peaceful now, you will never feel peaceful. It simply means that contentment is only possible when you are not throwing the ball into the future. It is only possible in the present tense (rather non-tensed). When you are truly present in the present, your mind is unconcerned with wanting things to be different than they are – and that is contentment.
Since contentment can only manifest now, in the present moment, this also means that it does not take any time to manifest. Contentment does not manifest over time; it manifests in a moment. Thus, you do not need to go on a retreat or quit your job or find ‘20 minutes, twice a day,’ in order to become peaceful.
Peace is available in the now. It is offering itself to you, now, now and now again, wherever you are. If you aren’t aware of it because, well, you’re too busy doing other things, such as waiting to have time to become peaceful, then you are missing a moment, which cannot be recovered..
Think about this. If being peaceful is possible now, and it is only possible now, then you need to get right to it. No more waiting for the perfect moment to create peace of mind. Simply take a deep breath and clear out all the worries you are whirling in your mind. Change your thoughts to positive possibilities. “I can do this one step at a time.’ ‘This too shall pass.’ ‘I can see this situation different.’ ‘I can, I will.’ ‘I have everything I need to create what I desire.’ The list of positive thoughts are endless. After stating positive thoughts, shift your mind to a place of peace.
This is not to say, that I am advocating replacing other forms of meditation or prayer, any path of self-discovery, or any of the excellent self-help or leadership books. It is to say, that whichever path, you choose, whatever help you seek, if you do not learn to master the moment, your chance of success is limited. If you learn to master the moment, then there is nothing to stop you, from creating all your desires in the moment.
About the Author:
Dorothy M. Neddermeyer, PhD, Life Coach, Hypnosis Practitioner, Author, “101 Great Ways To Improve Your Life.” Dr. Dorothy has the unique gift of connecting people with a broad range of profound principles that resonate in the deepest part of their being. She brings awareness to concepts not typically obvious to one’s daily thoughts and feelings. http://www.drdorothy.net
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wow.
I had no idea.
thank you.