What is Meditation to you?
Meditation has been practiced for many years by various spiritual practices and religions. It has been said by people that spending just five minutes a day and breathing by yourself in a room can help in the long term with anxiety and depression. That if you have trouble focusing, just keep practicing every day and soon you will be able to completely quiet your mind. That isn't always easy for a lot of people. Sometimes they struggle because they live in a loud home, or their mind moves too fast for them to slow it down. So many people believe that if you pay for these classes, you'll be on your way to enlightenment. Just buy these three things and you will be meditating like a "normal person" in no time. It is unrealistic to believe that every person is Goldilocks and just need to try these three beds and one of them will fit "just right." For some people, buying your instruments can be beneficial, but what about those people who can't afford those things? What about those people who live in "The broom closet" because no one in their life understands? How do those people meditate?
There are many different types of meditation you may not know about a few called active meditation and passive meditation and the differences between the two. In fact, both types of meditation could get their own posts just by themselves So, today I'm just going to talk about passive meditation. When people first learn about meditation, they’re taught about just sitting in a dark room and breathing, trying to clear their mind. What if I told you that is just one way to meditate? What if I told you that you can imagine going on adventures instead? What if you sat down and imagined yourself walking through a glen and trying to find a fairy deity or spirit and seeing what they want you to know? What if you trekked through a forest to interact with the lady of the lake and instead of giving you Excalibur, she gives you a magical pen that turns all your writing to gold and she asks you to write down what you experienced on the adventure to see her? The birds you saw or the animals you interacted with. Those things have their own special meanings and symbols and can give you more insight into yourself or your well-being way more than trying to force your mind to be still. If you want to go on an adventure and struggle to imagine these adventures, there are so many free videos on the internet that guide you as well. If that works, then do that instead.
Whatever your choice, having a notebook by your side can give your insight on your journey and what you can work on to better yourself. Having a ton of material things to aid in your practice doesn't make your practice perfect and using your imagination to learn life lessons doesn't make you childish or silly. Your journey is your own and it's the most powerful thing you can create for yourself. It just means taking those first steps and seeing where they take you.
Allowing yourself to taste life is a beautiful thing, I hope that you are blessed with new experiences and new opportunities to dive deeper into yourself.
-Shanti Amar