Meditation is a name we give to a universe of techniques for accessing inner peace. In general, to meditate you sit relatively still, and let yourself pay attention to some aspect of the way life renews itself. There are thousands of variations on the techniques. For many people, it is wrong to sit still – it is better to undulate, sway, dance, most of the time, then have just a few minutes of relative stillness.
Let's take a breath, and go over that again. Read the following sentences slowly, and breathe a few breaths at the end of each phrase.
To meditate, we sit and pay loving attention to the rhythm and pulsation of life renewing itself.
How does life renew itself? Life is always in motion, rhythmically pulsating as it heals and evolves itself.
The breath, for example. Breath is one rhythm we can pay attention to. Just for a few seconds, notice the way the breath is flowing into and out of your body. There are many little things to love about the way breath feels, and if you start paying attention in a loving way, you will settle into meditation. There are innumerable other rhythms, such as the heartbeat, or the rhythm of thoughts and silence.
Meditation allows us to access a naturally occurring rest state; it is resting in yourself while remaining awake and alert. It is different from sleep, in that the rest is much deeper and happens quickly, and you become more aware than usual. Meditation happens spontaneously for a few seconds or minutes when we gaze at the horizon, a sunset, a river, the ocean, or lie on our backs and gaze upward at the night sky.
We can cultivate meditation intentionally, we can set aside a time each day to meditate, and this has great benefits. Even a few minutes of meditation here and there can help your day to be more full of grace and good humor.
