To get the most from meditation, there are several things that are helpful to bear in mind.
Meditation needs little learning but a lot of practise
Meditation isn’t like an academic subject, we don’t need to learn information or understand a certain philosophy. The essence of meditation is experiential; to quieten the mind and cultivate the inner peace we have deep within. To quieten the mind, we need perseverance, practise and the willingness to keep trying.
Regularity
The best way to experience the benefits of meditation is to incorporate the practise in our daily life. If we wish to become expert in the piano, we would expect to practise everyday. The occasional meditation may be helpful, but if we can make it into a daily practise, we will start to look forward to the meditation and gain more from it.
No expectation
Meditation can give a great feeling of release, inner peace and joy. But, the best way to approach meditation is to enter without expectation. When we expect a certain outcome, the mental expectation can be like a stumbling block. Also, expectation can lead to frustration. However, when we don’t expect, but just see what happens, we have the right attitude to be able to quieten the mind. Patience is a good virtue for meditation.
Give yourself time
Everyone has busy lives, and it can be difficult to find the necessary time to meditate. However, we should not feel selfish for finding time for meditation. Meditation will help us to concentrate better, be more understanding and more productive. It is important to get the right balance between the inner and outer life. Also, if we are honest there are many things we do which are not strictly necessary, but more like time-wasting activities. If we really want to learn how to meditate, then this intensity will give us the opportunity to do so.
Faith in yourself
Our mind can have a negative view of the world and even ourself, but the heart has a more positive and loving attitude. If we can quieten the mind and bring our heart to the fore, we can become aware, we already have these divine qualities of peace and joy. If you’re not quite sure, you do. All that is needed is to suspend judgement. Just meditate and find a new you!
Meditation is a journey
Meditation is a journey that we can take as far as we want. If we need five minutes of peace first thing in the morning, we can meditate for that. If we wish to become aware of a deeper meaning to life, meditation can help us discover our real goal and purpose. Nobody can meditate for you, equally nobody can prevent you from benefiting from this ancient art.
Don’t wait for the perfect time
It is tempting to think – if only I had a perfectly quiet room and no issues to deal with, I would be able to meditate very well. But, that ‘perfect moment’ never really comes – we will always have reasons to delay meditation. We should always feel that today is the best time to meditate. If there are obstacles or difficulties just see these things that will make our meditation stronger.
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