Why Meditate?

Our mind serves a very important duty. It helps us think. And yes—in many situations, thinking is necessary.

But too often, our minds are unconsciously consumed by thought after thought. This inner dialogue is largely made up of worries about our future, our health, our relationships, our work and other concerns. And all this thinking repeatedly happens without us even noticing! Yet, this constant inner narrative is a source of immense stress in our lives.

How can we stay grounded in the present when our minds are so distracted?

We can train the mind.

Meditation is a mindfulness practice that connects us to the present by paying attention to our breath. It sounds simple, yet is so powerful. Connecting with your breath helps you focus your attention. By doing this, you train your mind to observe what is happening in the present moment.

While meditating, your goal isn’t to clear your mind of thoughts, or even change them. Thoughts will spring up, as they do. Your goal is simply to observe when they arise. And the more you meditate, the greater awareness you have of the thoughts, feelings and emotions throughout daily life. You’ve trained your mind to become a nonjudgmental observer. As an observer, you become less identified with the narrative running through the mind.

This changes your relationship with your thoughts. So when thoughts arise, you recognize when it happens. And then you can act with intention, instead of reacting unconsciously. You can choose to let go of the thoughts instead of getting caught up in them.

Read more about Shifting Your Inner Narrative.

1. Find a quiet space where you can sit or lie down. Set a timer for 5 minutes.
2. Close your eyes and begin to pay attention to your breath, breathing in through the nose and out through your mouth. Observe where you feel your breath: whether it’s in your nose, your chest, or your belly.
3. If any thoughts come up, don’t worry. Just notice them and then bring your attention back to your breath until your timer chimes.

Afterwards, you can reflect on the experience. How did it go? Did you find yourself lost in thought? Was it easy, or difficult to stay focused on the breath? Do you feel any different now?

Meditation has the power to make life changing impacts to your wellbeing. And you can start now. There are numerous courses, apps, and communities to support you on your meditation journey. But the beauty of this practice is it truly requires no special equipment to begin. It’s free for anyone, and you can do it anywhere.

Even a few minutes a day is enough to make big changes in your life.

So, why meditate? To live life fully and intentionally!

By Mila Meldosian; All Rights Reserved @2021

By Mila Meldosian; All Rights Reserved @2021