Meditating Daily: This Is What I've Learned

IS MEDITATION WOO-WOO?

Brett hates the term "MEDITATE".

To him, "meditation" is something the hippies or new-age peeps do. It's strictly woo-woo in his mind.


I am grateful, though, that people can lovingly coexist while having different opinions, because I, for one, LOVE to meditate! 😄 I love taking quiet moments (usually earlier in the morning before anyone else is awake) to sit, reflect, and center myself for the day. I especially LOVE to listen to guided meditations. They're fun and relaxing for me. They allow me to not think too hard, but keep a focus on being mindful and present in the moment while I'm meditating. When I practice it right, I always leave a meditation session feeling more peace & calm, and feeling a clarity of mind. It has been a great tool in my life as I have worked through different trials, emotions, and times of high-stress or overwhelm. I started meditation regularly a couple months after my mother passed away, as I was trying my best to cope with her loss. Meditation (along with other daily rituals I implemented) really helped me to get out of a rut of depression and apathy that I fell into after she died. The practice helped my mind to be strong, and it served me well as I took on the new challenge of caring for Eoin and his medical condition. Today, things are calm(er), but morning meditation is a special time for me where I can let all the icky things in my mind float away so I don't carry it around with me throughout the day. It helps me to be a more patient and loving mother, a more invested wife and partner, and a better neighbor and community member.

MEDITATION IS PRACTICED BY GODLY MEN & WOMEN

Meditation is far beyond woo-woo. (Although, sometimes it totally can be). Meditation is something that's practiced by Prophets of God and other spiritual leaders. There are lots of biblical references to meditation (click on each reference to follow a hyperlink to the full bible verse):

• Isaac went out to meditate in the field, Gen. 24:63. 
• book of the law … thou shalt meditate therein, Josh. 1:8 
• But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. Ps. 1:2. 
• Lord, consider my meditation, Ps. 5:1. 
• Let … the meditation of my heart, be acceptable, Ps. 19:14. 
• meditate on thee in the night, Ps. 63:6. 
• I will meditate also of all thy work, Ps. 77:12. 
• My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the Lord, Ps. 104:34. 
• I will meditate in thy precepts, Ps. 119:15. 
• thy testimonies are my meditation, Ps. 119:99. 
• I meditate on all thy works, Ps. 143:5. 
• not to meditate before what ye shall answer, Luke 21:14. 
• Meditate upon these things, 1 Tim. 4:15.

FOUR AREAS OF FOCUS (MY TAKEAWAYS FROM TODAY'S MEDITATION)

This morning, I started a new guided meditation playlist called "Morning Meditations for Daily Magic" (available on Audible - free to Audible subscription members). I thought that the meditation class for today was really interesting, and is really applicable to anyone who desires to better themselves as an individual. The 20-minute session talked about four areas where we can put our focus. By figuring out which of these four areas lack balance, we can gain a good sense of what we need to work on to for some self-improvement.

These areas, or "lenses", as that the guided meditation referred to it, were anciently identified in Hindu & Buddhist texts as the four proper goals and aims for human life. Their truths are universal and just as applicable today.

The 4 Aims of Human Life found in the Puruṣārthas:

1 - DHARMA: 

Dharma is our innate desire to know and live our purpose, to make positive progress in the world, and to live truth. Dharma will help you know your "WHY" to life, and to understand who you really are. 

A question you might ask yourself to gauge your dharma is: "WHEN AM I SERVING MY HIGHEST GOOD?"

I like to think of Dharma as a person's divine nature. "Each [person] is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny."(From "The Family: A Proclamation to the World", 2005). I believe that I am serving my "highest good" when I embrace my inherent, God-given divinity, and live out the divinely appointed roles that He has for me. To me, I view things such as the role of a husband or wife, and especially the role of a father or mother, as the highest and holiest of roles. I live my "highest good" when I try to fulfill the roles of mother and wife in a faithful and holy way.
But it also goes farther than that. Dharma is the ethics to your life. It's the way you carry yourself. The way you treat others, pursue goodness, or "live your truth".

2 - ARTHA:

Artha refers to the material things you need in order to live and thrive. Think Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs (click here for a good article on these 5 needs of human motivation). This is your security, your "tools" that help you to fulfill your roles in life. They can be as basic as food and clothing, and can range to possessions, income, and social recognitions. Artha is your basic requirements for human dignity. "Needs vary from person to person. Artha includes everything in your environment that allows you to live a fulfilling life and also the means to achieve it."(Purushartha: The 4 Aims of Human Life By Roger Gabriel (Raghavanand)). 

To be balanced with your Artha, ask yourself: "ARE MY THINGS SERVING MY LIFE, OR IS MY LIFE SERVING MY THINGS?". I think about the blessings of a minimalist mindset here. Clutter can sometimes cloud the mind and add unnecessary stress to life. I also believe, though, that there is not inherent evil to things like money and possessions. Material things can bless and better your life and the lives of others. But, it must always be made sure that the "things" serve our lives, and not the other way around.

3 - KAMA: 

Kama is pleasure. Pleasurable experiences and sensations. It is the pleasure we experience through beauty, by using all our senses. It's having a sense of "wonder" and "joy" in all things, and seeking after the things that enrich our lives and fill us up.  For me, Kama is tasting delicious food, creating or appreciating beautiful works of art, attending the symphony, or listening to the natural "symphony" of birds and winds that I hear in my own neighborhood when I take walks with my kids or dog. Kama is the "experience". We can gauge are Kama by asking ourselves: "ARE MY EXPERIENCES FILLING ME UP OR DRAINING ME? WHICH PLEASURES FILL ME UP, AND WHICH LEAVE ME DEPLETED?" So we can enrich our lives by seeking to choose the "good part" as Jesus taught Martha to do so in Luke 10:38-42. 

"Kama as an essential and joyful aspect of human existence. To practice Kama from a yogic perspective means to practice being fully present with whatever you’re experiencing. Kama is a total sensory experience that includes discovering the object, learning about the object, establishing emotional connection, learning the process of enjoyment, and experiencing the resulting feeling of well-being..."(Purushartha: The 4 Aims of Human Life By Roger Gabriel (Raghavanand))

4 - MOKSHA: 

Moksha is liberation, freedom, an unattachment. There is a peace that comes from detaching ourselves from our fears, worries, anger, and just letting go. During meditation, we may acknowledge thoughts that come to mind, but then take a short moment to acknowledge the thoughts and let them float on. I have found this to give me great perspective. There have been moments where I have been overwhelmed, sitting next to my sedated baby in the Cardiac ICU, and the sounds, smells, and emotions make me want to run away screaming. But by taking moments to sit peacefully and count my breathing, to meditate silently, it allows me to detach from the sensory overload.

Moksha is an understanding that "you can't take it with you". It allows us to not be so tangled in all the things of life. To understand where we are with our Moksha, we can ask ourselves: "HOW AM I CREATING A SPACE & PERSPECTIVE TO REMAIN UNTANGLED FROM IT ALL?" 

"Moksha is seen as a final release from life’s illusion. The Upanishads describe the liberated individual as one who treats others with respect (regardless of how others treat him/her); returns anger with soft and kind words; doesn’t expect praise from others; never injures or harms any life form; is as comfortable being alone as in the presence of others; and is humble of clear and steady mind, straightforward, compassionate, and patient."(Purushartha: The 4 Aims of Human Life By Roger Gabriel (Raghavanand))

HAVE YOU EVER PRACTICED MEDITATION BEFORE? IF NOT, TRY IT OUT!

I enjoyed my meditation session for today. I learned so much! It was amazing to reflect upon the "4 Aims", and consider what areas I can nurture. I know that the benefits of meditation are real! Meditating bolsters my inner-strength and aids in my self reflection and development. It helps me to find an inner peace, and to ward off depression and anxiety. When I meditate and turn my focus to betterment and progression, it helps to make me a more whole person, and a more "present" person.
SO, If you've never meditated before, try it out. Start by setting aside 10 minutes in the morning to sit in silence, or to participate in a guided audio meditation. There are so many wonderful resources out there. Meditate, and see how it changes your mindset, your perspective, and your stress levels. 

Thanks for reading!