ADVICE FROM A LEXIS

On meditation

Posted

Dear Lexis,

I’ve been trying to set up a meditation practice like you suggest but I don’t know that I’m doing it right. Nothing really seems to happen and I don’t know what to look for or what I’m trying to accomplish here. Can you give me a little clarity on the whole thing?

Thanks,

           ~ Meditator

Dear Meditator,

This is a question I hear a lot and people generally don’t like the response.  The point of meditation is to do as close to nothing as possible, or that’s the process anyway. The actual point is to allow your conscious mind to quiet so that your intuitive, also known as your subconscious mind, can be heard.

You might have noticed that the conscious mind is very chatty, always strategizing and analyzing risks. It constantly talks about what you should be doing, questions your decisions, and forces you to consider other options whenever possible. And while this is a wonderful thing, in the right doses, most of our conscious minds have been running our lives unopposed and making life much harder for us.

The conscious mind is like a computer:  When set on a task, it will aim to complete said task. This is what the conscious mind is designed to do. However, when unchecked, the conscious mind will try to “solve your life” if you don’t stop it. As a life is far too complex for a computer to analyze, you often end up in unnecessary, difficult situations.

Your conscious mind makes decisions based upon projections about the future, and that future often turns out differently, whereas the intuitive mind makes decisions based on all the information you deemed important at any point in your life. Your intuitive mind makes decisions based upon your beliefs, morals, and history; but that’s not all, your intuitive mind is also connected to the entire human consciousness, kind of like being connected to the internet, and can pull on every human experience to better suggest behaviors.

This last aspect of the intuitive mind is the primary reason I suggest people utilize meditation more often. However, until you start to experience the power of this gift, it can be hard to figure out why it’s any better than what you’re already doing.

For this reason, meditation can often feel like diving off a cliff without a parachute. You don’t know where you’re going, you don’t know what you’re aiming at, and you don’t know what’s going to happen next. Every session is like taking that same dive over again just hoping that at some point soon your instinct will kick in. And while this can be frustrating, I promise that your instinct will kick in and you will start to notice the subtle shifting of your life around you.

All you have to do is listen.

Focus on your breathing, focus on the air conditioner, on the road noises outside, on the birds chirping. It doesn’t matter what you focus on as long as you maintain your focus. It’s like strength training for your mind. It’s hard to work those muscles, especially if you haven’t used them in a long time, but with practice, you skill will improve.

Meditation is easy; it’s so easy that most people don’t buy it being useful in any way. However, in its simplicity, meditation can also be difficult because it requires a level of dedicated focus that you rarely utilize in your daily life. You’re breaking something down into its simplest form to improve your base technique. It can be frustrating and slow but, in the long run, worth the effort as it will improve every aspect of your life.

So, try to relax. Let the worries and goals go and just focus on your breath. You will discover the power of meditation in time. Be patient and relax, you’ve got this.

           ~ Lexis

Alexis Baker writes from her home in Olympia.  Got a question?  Write to her at Lexis@theJOLTnews.com 

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