The Purpose Of Meditation

Today we're going to talk about meditation.

Most people think of meditation as something that we do.

We sit and meditate.

We do a walking meditation,

A guided meditation.

Meditation is more.

A state of being.

Certainly we can sit and meditate and do a walking meditation.

Listen to a guided meditation.

Meditation though is to look deeply.

To turn our attention inward.

To contemplate.

To reflect.

To start to notice things.

For example,

Thoughts that come up memories that come up.

Attachments we may have to certain things or people or places.

Expectations.

May arise.

So to meditate is to meditate on something.

Typically not just to sit.

For the purpose of sitting.

It's two.

Remain still.

Or poised,

Or present long enough so that we can actually learn something about ourselves.

Learn how the mind works.

Learn how our thoughts connect.

And specifically how our thoughts are related to our.

.

.

Way of speaking.

And how our thoughts.

.

.

And speech are related to our actions.

It's an interesting thing to look at meditation,

To discuss meditation as more than just sitting cross-legged.

Or placing the hands on the knees or in the lap.

There are so many styles of meditation,

So many techniques.

We can recite a mantra.

We can visualize.

But ultimately,

If we're not able to.

.

.

Discern or uncover.

Discover what's really going on.

Not just in the mind,

But in the heart.

Then meditation just becomes this.

Physical thing that we do.

So we need to remember to incorporate the physical body,

The posture.

Or the movement if it's a moving meditation.

With a quality of mind that we're trying to cultivate.

Meditation doesn't mean we have to quiet the mind completely.

We're not looking for silence.

I don't know many people that can completely quiet their mind.

Total silence.

They want to figure out what's going on with the mind on any given day.

On one day,

My mind may be quiet.

On the very next day,

It may be loud and busy.

Neither one is good or bad.

To meditate on something like this is to just become aware without judging myself or others.

Without judging my mind,

Without thinking today's a good day,

Yesterday was a bad day.

Or I wish this could be like that.

Meditate is to simply look deeply.

And what we do with the information that we find,

What we discover or learn about ourselves in this process of.

.

.

Finding stillness.

Turning our attention inward.

This is what we take out into the world,

Our quality of being.

Is a reflection of our meditation.

So if I learned that in my meditation,

I'm impatient.

Or I can get angry quickly.

I can bring mindfulness or awareness to that.

In meditation.

It's pretty likely then out in the real world when a trigger comes up or there's an opportunity to become angry or impatient.

I'll remember.

What I discovered in my meditation.

I'll apply it to this situation out in the real world.

So I don't overact.

Or strike out.

Or say something I might regret.

And I'll have more patience and probably more compassion or empathy.

Or tolerance.

Essentially,

Meditation is to get to know ourselves.

To touch our own suffering,

Our own sadness.

And also our own joys and happiness,

And so many other emotions and feelings.

To really get to know ourselves.

And then to take this out into the world.

The real you,

To take it out into the world.

The next time you meditate,

Whether it's here,

With a guided meditation,

On your own,

In silence.

Whatever it might be.

Remember some of these ideas.

To look deeply.

Notice patterns.

And if something needs to be changed.

Trust this process that it will be changed.

If something needs to be healed.

Trust that this will be healed.

Something needs to be transformed.

We can trust.

Through this meditation practice.

Things will be transformed.

Enjoy your meditation today.

See you again soon.