Don’t Hate, Meditate, Feel Great!

In an attempt to find peace in this bustling, chaotic world, people around the world are getting in tune with their bodies and minds through meditation. Society is trying to slow down and observe; calm down and think; pause and reflect.

Meditation brings clarity and peace of mind | Source: ArtofLiving

World Meditation Day is celebrated on May 21st every year, striving to create awareness about meditation and its benefits. In a world where one is expected to grind every second of every day and be on the move, meditation has the ability to bring in some perspective. It builds efficiency and focus and helps a person develop a sense of calm. It radiates good energy, leaving the person with a clear mind and positive thoughts.

Meditation, as a practice, can be traced back to ancient India, as far back as 1500 B.C., and it has also been referenced in ancient China. It is difficult to trace the exact origin of meditation as it is practised differently across diverse cultures and religions. It covers a wide range of techniques involving mindfulness, breath patterns, and focusing on a specific thought, object, or activity to attain stability.

In the last three years, the world has been through a collective fight against COVID. Mental health took a toll with the fear of the unknown creeping into everyone’s minds. Stress levels were off the charts with the information overload of the virus’s malicious journey around the world in a very short period of time, chilling statistics, medicines, vaccines and home remedies, among a multitude of other things. Meditation helped people take care of their mental health, letting them reduce their worries, at least a little bit.

Meditation proves to be a great tool for people to cope with anxiety and depression. Encouraging silence in the mind even for a few minutes helps deal with everyday challenges. Sitting still and breathing is one of the best ways to clear your mind and stay present. Experiencing the now without pondering about the past or worrying about the future is one of the biggest perks that meditation offers.

Meditation is not easy at first, even though the idea of it is simple. Intrusive thoughts are natural when one is expected to sit quietly after dropping everything they’re doing. Expecting full concentration with no distractions is an unrealistic goal and several people assume that they have to shut everything out in order to ‘succeed’. There is no failure in meditation, it is the thought that counts. It is the idea of simply showing up that is more humbling than ‘achieving’ something.

Meditation didn’t enter Western culture until the advent of the 20th century. In the 1990s, it became ‘fashionable’ in the United States, especially after celebrities began joining in. Meditation to many people now is a way of life, not just something they do to stay ‘trendy’ in today’s world of showing off on social media.

There is a common misconception that meditation is only for the religious or the spiritual, but that is simply not true. Anyone can meditate, if they have the right intentions. Learning a practice like meditation is not something to master, one just needs to accept and acknowledge that it is something that happens over time. It is not an instant process, but in the long run, it will prove to be immensely beneficial for physical and mental well-being, sharp focus and productivity.

There are stories to be heard and told, movements to be experimented with, mindfulness to practice, self-care to help heal from the inside, and a reverence that comes through while practising meditation.