I have long been a heavy consumer of motivational and mindset content, whether it be books, podcasts, Youtube videos, you name it! Surprisingly, for someone who is a freak of everything positive and progressive, one would think that I am already living the happiest days of my life, unfortunately that was far from what has happened.
Free from desire, you realize the mystery. Caught in desire, you are lost in the illusion.
I started noticing the first signs of what I would now call as the “Feel Good Syndrome” whenever I would attend all sorts of motivational conventions and seminars. I'd always recall how the attendees (including myself) would get so hyped, inspired, and revitalized. But not soon after, the enthusiasm would gradually fade. After a few weeks, most of the people would be back to their former ways.
This was when it dawned on me that merely knowing would never suffice. I can read all the books out there. I could attend all the self-improvement seminars. But if there was no internal work done from within, then everything would be merely short-lived.
There is a fine line between merely KNOWING it and actually DOING it
After awakening to my senses, I started my search for something profound and perpetual. It has brought me to many teachings, books, philosophies, and practices (most of which are too long and tedious to discuss here). To cut the long story short, I found the sweet spot to manage the mind, body and spirit. The path I found may come as a shock to many.
What is it you ask? Well, the answer has already existed for thousands of years. In fact, it maybe a boring answer for most. Ready for it? It was through Meditation. Yes my friend, MEDITATION! It's not the weird mystical ritual you'd come to see in pop culture. It was rather, a skill that has enhanced my well being and brought clarity to my mind. Even if you try it, you may not understand it. Merely trying something and completely devoting yourself to truth are two vastly different things. This is why people dabble with meditative practices and never achieve any results.
Since implementing meditation as my daily practice, each day has been better than the day before. News, gossip, TV, and social media lost much of their flavor. I no longer compared myself to others. I no longer desired luxuries that people my age would. I enjoyed my work and I took pleasure in going the extra mile for others. And most of all, I was blissfully joyful in my solitude.
Let me put a little disclaimer here. Majority of society have a wrong grasp on what meditation is. Meditation is not a one time thing nor is it an act of emptying the mind to pursue enlightenment. Hell no. It is a regular practice that is done day in and day out. It's like exercise, but for your mind and soul.
It was an uphill struggle at the start, but after a few weeks of consistent practice, I was able to remain still for 1-2 hours each day and just be in total bliss. It's kind of weird when I put it to words. It's one of those "you have to experience it to understand it" kind of things. Even then, you might just barely scratch the surface. Your whole being must be engrossed to it and must be daily practiced to achieve tangible results.
To indulge you, I outlined the process of my daily meditative practice:
1. Find a quiet spot and sit on an upright position.
2. Relax your body. Unclench your fists, lower your shoulders, ease your jaw.
3. Close your eyes and fixate your attention to your breathing.
4. Important: Do not battle with your thoughts. Observe them as they pass along your awareness. Let thoughts freely flow. Focus only on your breathing.
5. As you feel more relaxed, start thinking of a positive thought you would like to feel. Love, abundance, health, compassion, keep focusing on the thought and immerse your awareness on the feeling. Smile if you can.
6. Do this for as long as you like. Usually a good start is 15 mins every morning and 15 mins before you sleep.
7. Commit and be consistent!
Happy Meditating!
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