There Are Two Great Analogies for Meditation
One is that it is like compound interest. And if you know anything about compound interest, you would know that the key is investing just a small amount consistently over time, also known as the compound effect. If there is one thing that determines success, it is commitment.
The second is that meditation is also like lighting a fire. For the fire of meditative awareness to ignite, it requires an initial focused effort to get going, but once “lit” it is easier to keep going. The important part is to maintain this light of awareness, failing to do so, the fire will go out, and you will have to start the process from the very beginning, just like relighting a fire. It is not like picking up a book from where you left off. You must maintain consistent practice to gain real benefits.
Many people come to meditation as a last resort to help them deal with stress or stress-related symptoms. And if they do not get instant results, they become despondent, which is completely understandable. But even 5 minutes a day will radically impact your life. What is important is that you commit to practising consistently every day. The problem is, it is so easy to forget the power of the compound effect and to maintain your motivation to practice consistently.
Just the idea of remembering the compound effect could be enough to keep you consistent.
It Is a Good Idea to Remember These 4 Points About Meditation:
- Growth first happens unconsciously – meaning you probably won’t notice it at first, but just a little commitment every day goes a long way. Be patient, and you will be astounded at the results. However, if you are a complete newbie the chances are that you will experience some immediate results, but whatever happens, stick with it.
- Do not force it – when it comes to meditation, once you are sitting in your meditation posture less is more. Let go of chasing, let go of forcing and let go of trying. You might notice the mind becoming busy and feel like meditation is not working. You might think that you need to try a different technique. This is completely normal. Just notice that what is happening is part of the meditation process.
- Concentration – this is the focusing of your attention, which increases your awareness. The more aware you are of thoughts and emotions, the more conscious you will become of how they impact your life, your decisions and your state of mind.
- Practice, practice, practice. Learning the skill of meditation is the consistent practice of bringing the mind to the present moment over and over again, without judgment. The challenge is to remain consistent, no matter what.
Remember there is nothing to DO in meditation. It is all about making the commitment to sit and then following through consistently every time.
Now, you have the power to choose to commit to a simple meditation practice. And to make things easier for you to get started, here is a short guided meditation for you to get started.