“Within you there is a stillness and a sanctuary to which you can retreat at anytime and be yourself” – Anonymous

The comfort of meditation is a wonderful gift we can give ourselves in this over-scheduled, achievement focused society we live in.  A few minutes each day to connect to our inner selves through meditation can help us stay grounded and more present throughout the remainder of the day.

Learning to meditate, however, is not always easy, and, for some people, can initially be almost anxiety-provoking.  I frequently hear from people, “I can’t meditate, I’ve tried,” or “I’m not doing it right.”  Often, people feel this way because they have a preconceived notion of what is “supposed” to happen during meditation; for example, that the mind should be relaxed and clear throughout meditation, or that certain spiritual feelings or awakenings should permeate the meditation session.

Now, hopefully, with consistent meditation practice, there are times when the mind will be relaxed and clear, and there will be moments of spiritual awakenings.  However, for most people, even with extensive meditation experience, these moments do not necessarily predominate.  Well, then, I can hear you asking: why should I bother?

Meditation has been scientifically proven, through decades of research, conducted from varying scientific, psychological  and religious perspectives, to: reduce stress and anxiety; lower blood pressure, heart rate and respiratory rate; lower muscle tension; increase self-actualization; and increase feelings of well-being.  Meditation has been incorporated successfully in the treatment of a wide variety of psychological problems, including depression, obsessive-compulsive-disorder, panic attacks, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Most meditation techniques share in common a concentration on an internal or external object or event, and a continual redirection of the mind back to the object of concentration.  Internal “objects” could include the breath, an image in the mind or a feeling in the body.  External “objects” could include a sound (water, wind, music) or something to look at (a devotional picture or a flame, for example).

One reason that there is a focus on “a continual redirection of the mind” back to the object of concentration is that our minds wander.  It is this natural wandering of our minds that cause people to say “I can’t meditate.”  It is not an unusual experience to sit down for 10 minutes of meditation, and, when the bell goes off 10 minutes later, to realize that the entire time you were either deciding what to make for dinner, or rehearsing a difficult conversation (past or future) in your head!

It can be very beneficial to learn meditation within the structure of a class, as some of the self-doubts which arise during meditation can be discussed with other students having similar experiences.  I recommend choosing a class which stretches over a number of weeks.  This way, you can practice what you are learning on a daily basis on your own, and then benefit from the discussion with the teacher and other students about the experience.  There are a wide variety of places to learn meditation in our local area, from town continuing education programs to nearby temples and monasteries. Some classes will have a non-religious, non-denominational approach, while others may have a particular spiritual or religious emphasis.

Meditation builds an awareness of how our brains work, an awareness of where we tend to focus our attention, and an awareness of our thoughts.  Initially, this intensified awareness of one’s thoughts and emotions can be difficult, yet it is also a path to increased insight into oneself and, eventually, self-growth and healing.