If you’ve considered beginning a meditation practice, there is and there will be no better time than the present. Doesn’t need to be spiritual and you don’t need a cushion or a fancy app. All you need is yourself.
Meditation is really nothing more than one pointed awareness. All that requires is something simple to be aware of. The good news is within our bodies we carry the perfect something simple to be aware of: our breathing. It’s our constant companion, every moment of our lives, moving in and moving out hundreds of millions of times in an average life. All you need to do to meditate is to be aware of the inhalation and exhalation movement of the breath.
The only thing you have to watch out for is the thinking process. The key to an effective meditation is to understand the distinction between awareness and thought. We humans are always thinking. While we may not be thinking correctly or healthfully, we certainly don’t need to practice the mechanics of thought.
On the other hand, we are rarely purely aware. Without practicing, it’s unlikely we will ever develop this important skill. In the coming days, we’ll talk about “how to’s” and the multiple physiologic and immune system benefits associated with the development of an awareness practice and the significant upside to exercising or meditation muscles.
