The Transformative Power of Daily Meditation: Part 3
I had planned to write the third part of this series last week or before, but I delayed it. Because as I made notes about the mental benefits I have gained from meditation, I realised I had already covered some of them in the first two parts of the series.
I wanted to reflect deeply on my experience and figure out what I will write about this time that has not been previously discussed.
I have been practising daily meditation for over a year and do not want to claim that I have gained all possible benefits. However, I can assure you that everything I write here is true to my knowledge, and I encourage everyone to try meditation if you have been wanting to for some time but have been putting it off for various reasons.
This blog post will discuss how meditation has improved my focus, concentration, and self-awareness. I hope you can relate to some of the experiences I share and that it will encourage you to discover the benefits of meditation for yourself.
Improved focus: Before I began meditating, I struggled to find time for the things that were important to me because I lacked focus.
I was particularly obsessed with staying up to date on the news and spent a lot of time reading about various topics, including politics, sports, technology, and more.
It is not that I did not understand the importance of prioritising; I could not resist my urge to consume the news around me. I felt like I was missing out on many things when I did not follow the news and social media.
Through meditation, I developed more willpower to resist my urge to be updated on everything and narrowed my focus to a few key areas. I have reduced my social media usage by over 75%. Now, I quickly scan news headlines and only read those that truly catch my attention.
Before I open any news or social media posts, I ask myself, do I really need this? I feel I am in control, unlike before. This has helped me manage my information consumption. As a result, I’ve freed up more time for writing, meditating, researching and spending quality time with my family!
Meditation has helped me prioritise the things that matter most to me.
Improved concentration: I have always considered myself someone who wants to accomplish things, but I always take longer to finish the tasks in front of me than necessary.
This was because I consumed a lot of information and had many things to think about, which could distract me.
Meditation has changed this for me. It has helped me improve my concentration.
The meditation practice I have been taught involves focusing on my breathing and noticing thoughts coming and going. When I find my mind interacting with any of these thoughts during the meditation, I gently bring my attention back to my breathing.
My teacher has also encouraged me to practice mindfulness outside of meditation time. It is not always practical, but more often, I am able to sense when my attention is drifting while I am doing something. As soon as I realise it, I bring my attention back to the task at hand and have found it very effective as I am able to finish tasks with improved concentration.
Before, I was unaware of when a random thought would pull my attention away. I often didn’t realise it until it was too late; by then, I had already lost a lot of energy and motivation to complete the task.
Improved self-awareness: Meditation has helped me to improve my self-awareness, which has led to a greater understanding of my thoughts, feelings, and behaviours.
Before, I occasionally felt not good without knowing why. I suppose that is obvious for many of us. But through meditation, I have become more mindful of my inner experiences, whether they be positive or negative.
Now I am able to recognise the emotions and thoughts that are driving my behaviours. This has given me more control over my reactions and helped me handle difficult situations more confidently.
The more self-aware I become, more confident I feel in my meditation practice.
Before, when I felt scared or anxious, I didn’t know how to react, and the negative emotions caused more frustration and triggered more negative emotions! Now, I simply accept that I am feeling anxious or afraid and observe the changes it causes within me. When I become mindful of that feeling, it seems to fade away gradually, and I feel better after some time.
I do admit that this doesn’t happen every time, but I have noticed that I get better at it the more I practice.
Overall, I believe that the majority of problems in life can be brought under our control through daily meditation, as it helps us understand and change the way we think. If you are struggling with similar challenges, I highly recommend giving meditation a try. It has the potential to transform your life in powerful and meaningful ways.
In the final part of this series, I will discuss the spiritual benefits of meditation, which is my favourite of all the benefits!
