Reflection: Meditation Builds Self-Reliance

Many of us try meditation to feel calmer and be healthier. With regular practice, the health benefits can be remarkable. Regular meditation also gives us the chance to grow something much more powerful: self-reliance. Could Netflix, pajama pants, and a cold beer do that?

Transcript

Many people start practicing mindfulness and meditation for various reasons. I think the biggest reason is because we don't feel good. We feel stressed, Unhappy, Lost, Confused, Powerless, Many many different feelings. For me, I was burning out in a very demanding job. This is a common story. As you practice mindfulness and meditation regularly, Chances are you'll feel less stressed. The pressures of life may ease up and sometimes disappear entirely. Your blood pressure may drop. Your sleep very well may improve, Minded. Your pain tolerance may skyrocket and your focus may sharpen dramatically. Amongst these health benefits are benefits that run much deeper. Regular meditation practice can lead to feeling more stable and grounded. Things that may have seemed impossible to bear may suddenly be very bearable one day. Old fears will often weaken and disappear in time. One of these deeper benefits is self-reliance. The more you practice meditation, The more you build up your self-reliance. You develop tools to work with the ups and downs of life. You can ground yourself and be more stable when times get tough. You don't need anyone or anything to do this for you. Just stand or sit like a mountain and let the storm pass. It will pass. Before I got serious in my meditation practice, I remember feeling that I needed three things to relax after a long work day. A comfy sofa, My pajama pants, And a cold beer. I didn't believe that I could relax without them and that made me reliant on them, At least mentally. The more I practiced regular meditation, The more I saw that I could relax myself without needing anything else. I could relax myself at work in between classes. I could relax myself on the bus home. I could relax on the sofa regardless of if I had the pajamas and beer. I had taken back my personal power. The more you practice meditation, The more you'll see you already have everything you need to feel peaceful inside of you. You don't have to be dependent on anything outside of you for that. You can be more peaceful yourself.

Reviews

Soooooooo GOOD. Our brains, always interested in doing things most efficiently through shortcuts, grasp onto that which we do often ( beer, pjs, weed, shopping etc) to effect our relaxation response. Then we do that frequently, repeatedly and think/believe there is no better/ other way. You have (I have, many here have) found the calming, grounding ways of meditation to bring on peace by just breathing and grounding. Thank you for this meditation reminder dear James. I love the timbre of your voice, your calm timing and gentle suggestions. (Are you from Canada originally… I hear a slight accent from our Northerners neighbors…).
Blessings to you.

Listening to you is very inspiring and grounding. Thank you so much!

🙏🏻

Nice reminder of the power of meditation and how it can improve your life. Thank you.

Great Reflection!