It's Not How You Meditate. It's Why?

**IT’S NOT HOW YOU MEDITATE. IT’S WHY?**

Whenever someone new to meditation asks me, “How do I meditate?” I answer with another question. “Why do you want to meditate?” I ask this because your WHY sets the foundation for your practice, along with the benefits you will receive. When you start with how, you bypass the significance of what you’re doing. Without a perceived sense of significance, your actions are meaningless. There’s no point in meditating if you think that it’s meaningless. For this reason, it’s probably not wise to start anything with all that ‘how to’ bull sh#t. It’s far more important to identify why you are meditating. If you’re just following the latest trend or doing it because everyone else is, you’re probably not going to get what you want out of it. Instead of skipping right to the how, maybe consider these questions.

• Is meditation even something I want to do?

• Why do I want to meditate?

• And, what benefits do I want to get out of meditation?

Knowing why you are meditating creates inspiration and enthusiasm to meditate. So, getting clear on why it matters to you and what you want from it, is essential for sticking with it.

THE REASONS WHY I MEDITATE

About 8 years ago, I attended a course that transformed my view on spirituality and personal development. During the class, I explored my definitions of God and Love, and I reflected deeply on what spirituality meant to me. I came to see spirituality as taking responsibility for my actions moment to moment. And in my mind, that meant living authentically, making better decisions, and constantly growing as a person. It was a breakthrough experience that clarified my thoughts about how I wanted to show up, and what I wanted my life to stand for.

At that point, there was a natural desire to start a spiritual practice. And the obvious choice for me was meditation. I intuitively knew that meditation was going to help me accelerate my progress and grow faster. Meditation immediately became an integral part of my life and I’ve been practicing ever since.

Over the years, I have had meditation sessions that have blown me away, taken me far beyond myself, and shown me completely new perspectives on life. So, if I am honest, another reason why I meditate is because I want many, many more of those perspectives. I want to have as many spiritual experiences as possible. Sh#t, I want to live in the depths of spirit everyday. In other words, I want to have more peak experiences and tap into new states of consciousness. The great part of meditation is that it’s a practice, and in order to have those experiences, you have to earn them.

GOING INTO SILENCE

There is something profound about sitting in silence and witnessing yourself in the present moment. It seems like it would be the most useless and boring thing. Nope, not the case at all. If you stay with it long enough, you will be amazed at what you find.

When you enter into the silence you allow space for new insights, ideas, and revelations. Being alone becomes a gift and an opportunity to discover your true self. When you meditate you get to explore the deepest levels of yourself, and see all the madness along with all the magnificence. By simply doing nothing, you get to connect with your soul, and listen to your divine guidance. Meditation opens the door for you to receive unlimited potential, and it gives you the capacity to connect with something beyond yourself.

With time and practice, meditation shows you the beauty in your silence and makes you appreciate your solitude.

HERE ARE A COUPLE TIPS

If my thoughts on meditation resonate with you, awesome. If not, that’s fine too. But the key is to find your WHY for meditating. If you don’t, your practice will fall short, lose it’s meaning, and lead to frustration. And I am guessing all of that is the opposite of why you want to do it. If you’re not sure about mediation, try out these tips.

Journal your Reasons WHY: Give yourself some alone time and journal your honest thoughts about meditation. Do your best to let go of everyone else’s opinions. Now, why do you want to meditate? What benefits do you want to get from meditation? Or maybe. Do I even what to meditate? Ask yourself anything that comes up, and if you discover that you don’t care and don’t want to meditate, then don’t. Whatever your reasons are, they are perfectly acceptable. Remember, it’s your life, and your choice. However, if you did this exercise you were meditating. Because meditation is about observing yourself, and journaling puts you in a state of witnessing.

Feel Free to Explore and Read: There is nothing wrong with exploring your curiosities around meditation. If you want to read a book, watch videos, listen to podcasts, or talk to an experienced person, then do it. One of the best attributes you have is your curiosity. You can go in any direction you want.

When it comes to personal development and spirituality, I would recommend anything by Ken Wilber.

Meditate on It: Without knowing any of the details or techniques, just meditate. Forget about right and wrong. In this space, there are no rules. Just set the intention around exploring your inspiration and your WHY for meditating. Keep it light, and remember, this is your time to be alone, connect with yourself, and listen.

Hope you enjoyed this post. Leave a comment below and let me know what you think!