“Meditation does not make you a better person”
I read an interesting article this morning with that title. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/02/05/meditation-does-not-make-better-person-study-finds/
In the article it found that people are not necessarily more calm or compassionate after practicing meditation. So… why have Meditation Mondays? Why promote meditation?
Well, everyone has to start somewhere!!! I have heard many people describe different meditation techniques. Personally, I practice my own version (everyone has to figure out what works for them) – I like to call it – listening meditation. Often when people say you should “clear your mind,” it gets confusing on how to accomplish that. Unless you have been practicing control of your thought impulses, it is extremely difficult to sit and have NO THOUGHT. It is a function of you brain to assess, judge, contemplate, etc. Therefore, to stop an innate trait takes time, it takes practice. So what is listening meditation?
For me, when I close my eyes and LISTEN, it gives my mind a task. I observe what is in the here and now through my hearing. The difficult part is OBSERVING your mind and the thoughts that arise while you attempt to only listen. Listen to what’s around you, listen to your breathe, and attempt to feel your body.
Meditation CAN calm you, but it takes work. Simply closing your eyes is not meditation. OBSERVING your mind and attempting to stop it from traveling down endless rabbit holes is a form of meditation. By slowly understanding your thought process, you give yourself the opportunity to control it instead of letting situations control you. No longer do you REACT to things based on unobserved emotions, you RESPOND to situations.
“Meditation does not make you a better person.” True. However, by practicing mindfulness I can be a better version of myself, a more present version of myself. By being present, I become truly available to everyone and everything around me. Who would want to miss that?! By being stuck in your thoughts, you do miss it! Even if it’s happening in front of you, when your mind is elsewhere, so are you.
Where do you find yourself reacting strongly? Is it towards certain people or in specific situations? Do you know why?
Let’s all strive to be more responsive and less reactive. See what happens in your circle when you do, it mayyyyyyyy just make you a better version of yourself 🙂
Blessing and Peace
