Why Should I Meditate?

Does the thought of sitting still with your thoughts cause you to twitch and want to scream? What’s the big deal with this quiet, unexciting, and quite frankly, boring seeming practice anyways? Health gurus, doctors, even the news these days state it as a way to relieve stress, cure anxiety, and become more focused. But what’s the big deal really, and how would someone like me start… IF you could even convince me to?

If these are your thoughts when you hear the word ‘meditation’, you are certainly one of many. As a yogi with 20 years experience under my belt, even I once balked at meditation. I just wanted to do the workout of yoga, and certainly you wouldn’t find me getting up early or carving out space in my life to stop and do ‘nothing’.

But, the years raced on, and somehow I came around to it. Slow exposure and practice over time convinced me that there truly IS something to this whole meditation thing… heck, the great ‘Yoga Sutras of Patanjali’ (aka the holy book of today’s yoga) describes dhyana or meditation as one of THE essential practices to an enlightened, complete life.

So if you’re a beginner like I once was—or need a refresher—let’s dive into what meditation actually is, and how you might start your own simple and rewarding practice.

What exactly IS meditation?

In essence, meditation is any practice where a person trains their attention and awareness to detach from reflexive thinking. This enables them to obtain a mentally clear, emotionally calm, and stable state of being. In other words, you start to dip into a calm state, where your thoughts and emotions no longer control you. You realize that you are so much more than anything going on in your head and heart. As a teacher of mine once emphasized, “You are not your thoughts!”

Meditation techniques can be classified into ‘focused’ (think strong concentration) and ‘open monitoring’ methods (observation). Focused methods involve concentration or attention on specific entities like the breath or mantras (words, affirmations, sayings). Open monitoring includes mindfulness and awareness of your surroundings, sensations, thoughts and feelings.

It does go hand in hand with many religious traditions, but it is also solely practised for its health and performance benefits. The act of meditating in itself is not religious. Early records of meditation practice (dhyana) can be found in the ancient Indian Upanishad texts, and it is an important part of yoga as a way to contemplate, reach peace, and become a better part of humanity and existence. Many people can relate to meditation as prayer, singing hymns or chants, and being completely absorbed in a ‘flow’ state when doing something you love. 

Basically, meditation can take many different forms, and finding the technique that works best for you or your situation is paramount. Regardless of what style you choose, you’re working to release attachment from the thoughts and things that negatively take up your time and energy.

What are the benefits of meditation?

Today, modern science has proven what meditative practitioners have known for centuries. Meditation 

• reduces stress
• relieves anxiety, depression and PTS symptoms
• improves sleep quality
• increases focus and clarity
• reduces the experience of pain
• regulates blood pressure
• can help with addiction
• fosters kindness
• helps reduce age-related memory loss
• Can help with IBS symptoms, fibromyalgia and many other common ailments.

Meditation really is no joke! Follow any of the links above to read more on the specific studies.

In many of these cases, the way meditation helps is by building strong neural connections in your brain. Denser, more robust brains lead to increased positive health outcomes, and an aptitude for dealing with emotional and mental pain in a constructive, positive way–hence why people feel so much better when they meditate!

So how do I start my own meditation practice?

Start experimenting! A great place to start, and develop your meditation practice is through our meditation tracks on DoYogWithMe.com. We have beginner tutorials, short meditations (we’ve all got five minutes in the day!) and explanations of many different techniques.

A few of my favourite beginner-level meditation videos on our site include:

• Meditation 101 with Nyk Danu
• Mindfulness Meditation: A Guided Meditation on Focus with our founder, David Procyshyn
• A Guided Meditation for Peace in Your Body with Helen Camisa
• Loving Kindness Meditation with me, Julia Crouch
• Movement as Meditation with Guy Friswell
• Yoga Nidra with Jennifer Piercy - this style is often called ‘Yogic Sleep’. Use it to calm and help your body rest. 

If you find that one technique doesn’t work for you, try another. Ask for guidance from people around you who already meditate, or send us an email to [email protected] for a personalized recommendation.

There are many in-person meditation groups, classes and teachers all around the world, so you can also search for offerings near you. Remember, there is a plethora of meditation styles, even ones that involve walking or running, dancing, painting, lying down, and chanting if the more classical seated styles don’t immediately work for you.

Once you’ve found a style that suits you, carve out some time in your schedule to start practicing regularly. As with anything, consistency (even that five minutes!) and devotion carry you closer and closer to your goals. Don’t beat yourself up if life happens, it certainly does! I’ve had months slip away without a dedicated practice moment. But that doesn’t mean I’m done for. I just get back on my cushion, chant that mantra, or head into nature for that walk. Meditation doesn’t care!

So get out there—you read this blog post to the end after all (I know you’re curious!). Embrace your meditative exploration and one day you might find yourself twenty years in like I have, wondering where the time has gone, but looking forward to your next meditation session!