Why do I meditate?

Ok boys and girls, we are gonna go deep tonight. Meditation. Why do I meditate? I meditate most days, probably six times a week. I awake each morning at 519am, my alarm goes off at 520am, I get up, brush my teeth, drink a pint of water, get my breakfast lined up for later, take any early morning supplements and then settle down in my room for 45-60 minutes mediation. I have a little heater to warm me up. I have a blanket to keep me warm too.

But why? Why bother? Why not take the extra hour as sleep? Surely my body could use an extra hours sleep? I normally only get seven hours, surely eight would make me feel GREAT? What’s so bloody good about sitting around doing nothing?

I ask myself these questions because I find it odd. I work long, busy, stressful days in the city and it’s unusual. I don’t know anyone else that even meditates once a month. But then again I don’t really talk about this kinda thing to Muggles. Certainly my work colleagues would think it extremely freaky if I admitted to daily meditation.

I have tried to give it up. I reset my alarm to 630am and tried to force myself to lie in. But it was pointless. Each morning I still awoke at 519am and lay tossing and turning until I just had to get up. Odd eh!  So anyway, here are the reasons I meditate almost every day:

1) Firstly because I love it! Oh yes baby, I absolutely love meditating. And I miss it when I don‘t do it. It’s not a bubbly, lively, bouncy love. No, it’s a contented, relaxed, satisfied and tranquil love. Like the love of an old dear friend. I have been meditating, on and off, for 9 years now and it’s a wonderful way to start the day.

2) The variations are massive. Absolutely huge. I do not get bored with the day after day repetition because I mix it up with a wide variety of different cool and funky things. I have 50 different meditation albums in my itunes; all the different types you can do. Each album has between one and 10 different mediations to listen too. That’s about 125 separate meditations I have built up over the years. 125 different mediations to mix up and spice up my inner-world. Some hour long rides. Some 10 minutes peace and quiet. Some so simple they just focus on the breath. Some long intricate fun guided journeys through funky places. Some just music. Some just vibrations. Some just chanting Omm. Lots of different types of chakra meditations too. Even some with special music that vibrates your brain! And we must also mention the reiki. Guided reiki meditations…a joy to behold! What a way to start the way! Funky!

3) It is written, by the meditating guru’s of our world, that a daily meditation is all that is needed for a full, happy, healthy and contented life. They say that physical exercise is not necessary if you meditate daily. Wild eh! I have not found that true, yet. But it might be true if I continue! LOL, anyway it’s easy to continue when I enjoy it so much.

4) I was sick in ignorance for a long time. I didn’t know it was mercury that was kicking my arse. Towards the end of that ignorant period I had three hopeless and painful years practicing something called The Alexander Technique. I will not bore you with the details now, but there is an element of meditation to it. I spent an hour practicing each day. It lessened some of the aches and pains in my body. It didn’t cure my body, but it cured my mind. I was depressed back then. Depressed with my painful life. The Alexander Technique made the depression go away. Each day I spent an hour with just myself. I focused on not thinking about anything. Each time my mind wandered, as is normal, I brought it back to my here and now. It wasn’t overnight, and my body still hurt everywhere, but my mind became clear. I saw things clearly. I didn’t understand my health, but I understood something was deeply wrong and that I needed to pull my finger out if I was to get better. Once I started looking, I picked things up pretty quick. Today I see clearly the problems in front of me. I clearly see the paths that I can take. I have a broad view of things too. A wide-angle view of my path. Some may be long paths, but nevertheless, I see clearly. I put that clarity down to all the mediation I have done. If you read my book and wondered how I ‘got everything’…it’s because of the mediation.

5) If you take a moment to stop and think of nothing, nothing at all, it is pretty hard. Go on, try it now. Take 2 minutes out now. Just stop reading this. Close your eyes. Clear your mind. Think of nothing. Just follow your breath for two minuscule minutes out of your day.

Bet you five bucks your mind swings quickly on to something happening in your life. Big or small the thoughts always creep back. Don’t worry, it is 100 percent normal, everyone is the same.

When you meditate, you stop those normal everyday thoughts from filling up your mind. Whenever you notice your thoughts wandering away, you stop and bring yourself back to the here and now. Usually just focus on your breath, or if following a guided meditation, just following that gentle path.

Why?

Well, your mind is constantly full of thoughts. We are perpetually thinking about stuff. Our minds never stop racing through all the different scenarios in our life, thinking up witty comments we could have said, thinking about what’s for dinner, what did your boss mean when he said “goodnight” in that tone of voice? Bam bam bam. Our minds are full of action. And sometimes it needs a break. Sometimes it is good to stop that constant inner chatter. Yes, you are not mental if you talk in your head. Everyone does it. Everyone without exception!

When you meditate, you wipe the slate clean. You stop the mind thinking and it creates space. It like wiping a blackboard clean. Clean and fresh, tranquil and calm. Ready to be refilled with new things, maybe?

What I have found is that when I finish a meditation, when I restart the inner chatter, things are clearer, less cluttered. It’s not an overnight thing. It’s something that is only observable in hindsight. You look back and you understand. Things make sense. Once tricky things, suddenly look simple. I guess this is one the main reasons why I meditate: the clarity that it brings.

6) Another reason I meditate is because I cannot practice yoga. I love yoga. Love the heat, love the energy, love the freedom, love the repetition, love the suppleness and the strength it brings. But being mercury toxic makes things difficult. It’s not a question of popping down the gym to ‘get fit’. Exercise is a calculated risk. Will I get injured? Will something snap, or tear, or pop out. Do I have enough energy? Will I be wiped out afterwards? And the number one reason I cannot practice yoga at the moment is because of my nose. Every morning I awake to a blocked nose. By the afternoon it’s clear, but I only have time and energy in the mornings. I have found decent yoga almost totally impossible with a blocked nose. I must be able to breath properly through my nose in order to practice correctly. It is super-frustrating and I am very prone to injury otherwise. The breathing generates the heat and energy my body needs when practicing properly. So, yeah, I’m off-games and so it’s meditation or nothing. Did you know: the yoga postures and mediation are two sides of the same coin! Fact.

7) When I am feeling poorly, meditation helps me see clearly, calms me down and allows my body to fully relax. When I am feeling good, mediation makes me feel even better. Energy surges into my body and makes me feel great. Ok, here I seem to be veering into slightly dodgy waters. Energy? That’s probably freakin’ you out! What? And so it should, it is freaky! So, I think that’s all I will say for now, but yeah some types of mediation makes me feel better, full of energy.

Anyway – just my thoughts on meditation and why I do it. I work long hard hours in my job. I have to deal with some very difficult people. It is stressful. I have worked in the city since I was 19 years old, that’s 24 years of my life so far. Seven years ago I decided to reward myself with one hour a day to myself. Total peace and quiet. Just me, myself and I. No one else is allowed. I can do anything I wish.

Anything! Cool eh! Obviously the only time that’s possible, I have two kids don’t forget, is in the mornings before work. My hour is dedicated to my health. Yoga or mediation or reiki or special breathing techniques. Up to me, whatever I feel like doing. Since I’m off-games it’s been the mediation that I have focused on these least 1.5 years. Time flies when you are having fun.

Sunshine

Side note: I didn’t do any research when I wrote this. It just came from the heart, just came from my own experiences. I purposely didn’t want to be distracted or influenced by anyone else. But after I’d finished I thought I should probably have a look, just in case! And a quick internet search revealed the following benefits of mediation: Enhances concentration, lowers blood pressure, improves sleep, manages pain, live longer, connect better with others, less bothered by little things, better health, better knowledge of self, people enjoy your company, achieve several hours sleep in 20 minutes meditation (I didn’t know that), productivity sky-rockets, reduces stress, increases exercise tolerance, deeper relaxation, reduces muscle tension, enhances immune system, feel fantastic and apparently purifies your character, whatever that means!

I found a list of 100 benefits here: http://www.ineedmotivation.com/blog/2008/05/100-benefits-of-meditation/

Is anyone interested in my top 10 meditations?

Take care
Danny