Meditation: The Power of Caring for Your Mental Hygiene
With gratitude, of course
Dear Meditation,
We met on a blind date, introduced via a digital app through the recommendation of a friend. I didn’t know much about you, but people spoke very highly. Thich Nhat Hanh, Eckhart Tolle, and Yuval Noah Harari were particularly influential. They raved about your beauty and generosity. I first became interested in you on a trip to India. It might sound cliche, but I already had a mild crush on you, even though your aura was enigmatic and we never formally met. I just wasn’t sure how to express my feelings towards you. I didn’t know if you would accept me. I feared your rejection. I didn’t know that your healing powers would bless and save me.
Like any first date, it was a bit strange in the beginning. Lots of reciprocating questions. Moments of awkwardness. We come from different cultures. I found you and then surrendered to your relaxed personality. We discovered a shared appreciation for silence, passing dark clouds and beams of sunlight. They said it takes practice to get to know you — and they were right. Despite this, I felt comfortable enough to ask you out again — and again. So many simply give up on you after a couple of dates or, worse, they never give you a fair chance. Ignorance is bliss — but not as much as a single date with you.
We have been on many dates since first crossing paths. Some lasted for no more than a minute or two. Others went hours deep in an ongoing dialogue. Duration doesn’t matter because you disregard the passage of time. You are more low-maintenance than most realize. We can do it anywhere, free of hesitation or judgment. You have never failed to empower me. When a book review mentions your name, it automatically piques my interest.
Before we knew it, our lives were intertwined. I woke up each morning thinking about you first. It was you who got me out of bed when the gravitational pull of anxiety and depression would resist. You have taught me so much during our time together. We have traversed the spiritual depths of Japanese Zen gardens, English football stadiums, and everywhere in between. You are the ultimate companion: always curious, observant, and patient. You challenge me with the perfect balance of tender and tough love. You thrive in peace and quiet, but volume doesn’t phase you, even though they warned me otherwise. You appreciate a good party, especially surrounded by quality food, wine, music, and company. Your happy place is mine.
You are indiscriminate. You welcome everyone with open arms. You are an abundant flow of energy and spirit. You make sharing love more rewarding. You advance humanity — and have done so for millennia. You are a custodian of honesty and have endured the turmoil of history. Everyone who has dabbled with you manifests their gratitude for you in unique forms. Our intimacy is no more magical than that with whom you share with anyone else. You defy the virtues of monogamy yet never make me feel insecure about our relationship. You’ve never let me down. You always show up, even in the rare moments I contemplate standing you up. Those always turn out regrettable, but I never have to beg for your forgiveness.
In times of regret, doubt, and shame, you recalibrate me. In times of optimism, joy, and peace, you do the same. You are the reset button of my consciousness — the only one. You have encouraged me to make life-altering decisions. Never have I doubted your insight. Yet, somehow, you always land me on a higher platform of being. This is your immortal superpower.
You are sadly misunderstood. You are not only a practice nor discipline. You are a state of being — the mother of flow. Everyone wants to feel you, even if they’ve never met you. Your name strikes a chord whenever it is uttered. It prompts action — or discussion at the very least. A conversation about you can seemingly last forever; such is your power. Nobody debates your impact on the universe; such is your power. To talk shit about you is an ultimate gesture of masochism. The naysayers don’t deserve you.
Like any relationship, it is not always perfect. After all, meditation is a practice, and relationships take work. Depending on internal and external conditions, a minute with you could feel like an hour — or vice versa. One perspective is not superior to another. Relationships are a journey of exploration and discovery. Meditation is an endless quest, and the only prerequisite is open-minded — and openhearted — presence. Sharing a life with you makes every day exciting and open to infinite possibility.
With gratitude.
