Meditation: The Doorway to Self Awareness
“Sometimes, simply by sitting, the soul collects wisdom.” ~Zen proverb
Every morning I get up at 6:45am. Half awake I sit down on the green striped bench next to the window. My feet firmly placed on the ground, I stare out into the void in front of me. As the rays of dawn’s light slowly peak through curtains, I close my eyes. I take a deep breath through my nose. Exhale slowly through my mouth. And my mediation begins.
The practice of meditation marks the start of my daily routine. It began just 5 months ago. After 9 years I was no longer working for the company at which I established my career. One day I was there and the next day I wasn’t. It was an unexpected turn of events. Although the circumstances were outside of my control the effect it had on me was profound.
Uncertainties in my life have often been a source of distress but this no longer felt like a temporary burden to bear. It was more like a block that was now limiting my ability to grow as a person. I found myself questioning myself: my capabilities, my confidence and my self worth. I turned to meditation in an attempt to help me overcome this inner turmoil.
Some of you may not know what meditation is and its not an easy explanation. It has many different definitions depending on the source you look at. I like the definition of mediation from Psychology Today that defined it as “a practice of turning your attention to a single point of reference…it means turning your attention away from distracting thoughts and focusing on the present moment.”
Meditation had always seemed mysterious to me and I had reservations about pursuing this avenue for help. I had the misconception that meditation was something only practiced by gurus in monasteries. And being far from a guru it seemed unlikely that anything this strange could be beneficial to me in my life.
I was wrong
I soon discovered that meditation has been steadily researched over many years. In recent studies it has shown to be beneficial for the mind by increasing gray matter. It has been adopted as a daily practice at companies such as Google, Apple, Proctor and Gamble to General Mills to improve employees well-being. Ray Dalio, founder of the world’s largest hedge fund, Bridgewater Associates, credits meditation to his success by stating, “Meditation more than any other factor has been the secret to whatever success I’ve had”.
For me this was more than enough reason to work past my misconceptions about it and apply the practice of meditation to help me overcome my distress. I didn’t know what I was doing at first and I made an effort to learn as much as I could about incorporating it into my daily routine. It didn’t take much except the commitment to make it a daily practice. And today meditation is a welcome part of my daily life that I rely on to help keep my mind healthy and improve my overall well being.
Here are the ways meditation has helped me personally in such a short period of time.
1. Less Emotional Reactivity
During moments of distress I would react emotionally to circumstances that I found to be overwhelming. It could be from a heated argument, an unrealized expectation, or even a situation out of my control. Meditation has allowed me to become more of the observer of the emotion. I now sense these emotions in a way where I can view it from a different vantage point. My emotional reactions have been reduced, allowing me to traverse daily unexpected situations with little affect on my emotional well being.
2. Stress Reduction
Stress is part of everyday life. Before meditation I found it difficult to effectively reduce stress in my life. It would often linger, holding on like an unwanted pasenger. Exercise helped but it didn’t seem to be as effective as I hoped. Perhaps my exercise routine wasn’t consistent enough or I wasn’t performing them correctly. Whatever the reason, it wasn’t working as well as I wanted. Now when I feel a bit overwhelmed with stress I turn to meditation to reduce any anxiety or distress.
3. Improved Inner Dialogue
One of my worst enemies is my internal dialogue. The constant chatter can be overwhelming. At times it seems to live a life of its own, chatting aimlessly about things, raising doubts, and questioning my judgement and intuition. With meditation the internal dialogue has quieted significantly. If I ever feel my mind running away from me I simply sit quietly in meditation allowing the thoughts to run their course, observing them but not engaging them. This alone has had a profound difference for me, as I am able to think more clearly and creatively when tackling issues that come my way.
4. Improved Focus
It’s no surprise that with the reduction of stress and clearer thinking, meditation has had the benefit of improving my Focus. I am able to work diligently on a task with a greater attention span. Outside distractions no longer seem to have the same affect they once did. If there is an issue that pulls me from the task at hand I am able to go back fairly easily with little readjustment.
All these things have ultimately helped me become much more self-aware with regards to how I react to external stimuli. Meditation has brought me a sense of peace I have never felt before, a calmer mind to weather the storm of uncertainties, and a more appreciative and reflective attitude. I know I may always struggle with bouts of fears and worry. The difference now is I have a new practice to help me keep centered.
I encourage you to give meditation a try if your curious about incorporating it to your life. It may be the one small step that helps you begin your path to a better self awareness.
“Meditation is not a way of making your mind quiet. It’s a way of entering into the quiet that’s already there — buried under the 50,000 thoughts the average person thinks every day”. ~Deepak Chopra
Further Information:
How to Begin:
http://zenhabits.net/meditation-for-beginners/ — Great tips on how to get started in meditation
https://www.headspace.com/ — A mobile app that guides you on how to get started in meditation. The first 10 lessons are free then moves to a subscription based service. (I am in no way affiliated with them…I simply like their product)
Other:
http://zenhabits.net/meditation-faq/ — Frequently asked questions about meditation
http://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/a_little_meditation_goes_a_long_way — Article on a recent study on the positive effects of meditation
Special Thanks:
I will always be grateful to family, friends, and loved ones who support me. The wonderful folks @Tradecraft, mentors, friends and cohorts. And @WhitneyHess for inspiring me to dream bigger.
