Meditation - The Bubble Bath For The Mind

Meditation an alternative therapy

Meditation is one of the proven alternative therapies practiced today. It can be broadly classified under the mind-body medicine. More and more doctors are prescribing meditation as a way to lower blood pressure, improve exercise performance in people with angina, help people with asthma breathe easier, relieve insomnia and generally relax the everyday stresses of life. It is a safe way to balance a person's physical, emotional, and mental states without medications. It is simple and can benefit everybody.

Mind your mind

Everything happens in our minds first. We win in our minds first, we lose in our minds first and whatever happens in our minds, manifests itself into reality. Our biggest human asset on this earth is the human mind. This is where ideas are generated, this is where emotions are created and this is where memories are formed and stored. Mind minus human is equal to a robot. A robot has the ability to execute programs. Without minds we execute programs written by others, society, family, past conditioning and so on. We are rendered in-human without a mind.

Facing the mind

I first came face to face with my mind in my third year of architecture. Knowing that we have a mind is one thing and understanding it is quite another. At that time I was working part time in an architect’s office. He happened to meditate everyday. He succeeded in convincing me that meditation would help me sharpen my skills of design and increase my creativity. I applaud his efforts, because he sold the idea masterfully to a skeptic. What he had told me were the mere side effects of meditation. Immediately afterward I attended a 10 day course of Vipassana meditation. The experience was mind blowing. Literally. I had no idea I contained such a rich world inside me. I saw for the first time how my mind functions. I witnessed the creation of the negative and the positive thoughts and how they affect my day-to-day performances. I came face to face with myself. The most difficult thing to do is to face yourself as you are and then accept those facts. I understood myself inside out. I loved some part of me and developed compassion towards the not so pleasant me. I came back from my 10 days session as a transformed being.

Practice makes a meditator perfect

This incredible journey to the frontiers of my mind and beyond has benefited me far more than I had ever imagined. I continue to walk on my path and have reaped good benefits. It is the daily practice of a technique where one reaps the maximum benefits. May that daily routine be of yoga or speaking skills or developing a relationship. Practice really make one perfect. And there are no shortcuts. I know I still have a long way to go and there are still undiscovered portions of the iceberg that is me, which will surface eventually. On this beautiful inner path I have got in touch with my inner wisdom which I did not know existed. The most important thing however was witnessing the crumbling of the wall between my conscious and subconscious mind. I can see the functioning of my sub-conscious mind and and also control it for my enrichment. I have come to understanding the symptoms and the subtle changes in my physical body and have avoided the manifestation of many a disease. And of course as a result of all these new insights, I have increased my concentration levels, my time management skills, my creativity, my visualization etc. etc. as my boss had promised then. All of this took time, practice and perseverance. I did face several obstacles on my path and still do and it gets extremely frustrating at times. However the efforts are worth it.

So how do you meditate?

So what does one exactly do when one meditates? Well it is not just turning off the lights and the telephone and sitting with closed eyes for an hour or so. The basic intention of meditation is to keep the mind anchored in the present moment of here and now. When the mind is calm and focused in the present, it is neither reacting to memories from the past nor being pre occupied with plans for the future. I'll repeat it because that is all there is to meditation. To meditate is to avoid reacting to past and indulging in future. Or in other words it means observing the present as it is. No reaction, just observation. Period. Over indulgence in past and the future generates chronic stress and adversely affects our health. Dr. Borysenko a pioneer in the field of mind/body medicine states humorously that meditation helps us to identify the movies of the mind and keep away from those. Once we are anchored in the present, the present is taken care of, the future takes care of itself and the past is automatically healed.

Different techniques of meditation

Several techniques of meditation have existed for thousand of years. In fact every religion has some form of meditation associated with it. Prayer is the most common form of meditation that we all know and have practiced at some point in our lives. There is transcendental meditation popularly known as TM, mindful meditation commonly practiced in the west. From eastern traditions there is Buddhist meditation, Taoist meditation, Vipassana meditation, which is what I have learnt and practice. Despite the various names all of these techniques share the common goal of quietening of the mind and then controlling it. If you go online you will get ample resources to learn meditation. Find out what technique suites you the best and go learn it. Your mind needs a bubble bath too. Meditation is the smart persons way of relaxing in the hectic world today. It has become a necessity of today unlike any other gazette we own and take for granted. And that one hour which you will spend meditating will earn you rich benefits. It will offer you a glimpse into that inner world which we all inherit but have forgotten. Each time you will emerge regenerated and happy. The effect this investment will have on your beings cannot be calculated or stated in parameters. One has to experience the inner realms with meditation in order to realize them. Belief always comes with the discipline of practice. I urge you to go ahead and take charge of your minds to make positive things happen in your life. At least give yourself a chance.

Several wise men have walked this earth who became enlightened through meditation. They were humans and so are we. They faced the similar whirlwinds like we do and their days had 24 hours to it just like ours. So stop giving reasons. Do yourself some good. If they could do it, so can we. Banish doubts and bless yourself with a good sit of meditation. Nothing calms the mind better than the strong anchor of present moment.