Many of us are familiar with the word “meditation”; some have experienced meditation in a class or workshop or church gathering. For me, that initial experience was sufficiently profound so that I was open to the opportunity to learn more.
I started becoming aware of meditation in the late 60’s and in the early 70’s. I was an attorney and musician at the time. This was a revolutionary and exciting era when many of our traditional values and beliefs were challenged. Even such basic institutions as family, religion and politics were reexamined.
The youth of the 60s and early 70s were open, albeit sometimes naïve, in looking at everyday
life in new ways. Few icons of Western culture escaped our scrutiny. We were accepting of
different cultures and political systems and increasingly receptive to Eastern philosophies and
cultures.
At the time, I encountered others who’d discuss meditation or were themselves meditators. In 1971 my life began falling apart. By December of that year, I decided to begin meditating. It was perhaps the most significant decision I’ve ever made.
Once I began meditating I started to feel hopeful about the future. I experienced new levels of consciousness and awareness and noticed moments of inner joy regardless of what was going on in my life. I soon developed a burning desire to understand what I was experiencing and read as much as I could about the spiritual and health benefits of meditation.
I was particularly interested in the health benefits of meditation. There’s a great body of literature that claims that long-term meditators have lower blood pressure and cholesterol readings; breathing slows, stress hormone levels fall and there is generally an increased sense of well being– and usually meditators seemed younger. On a practical level it made sense to me. And those occasional moments of tranquility were wonderful when they occurred but they were always unpredictable. The promise down the road intrigued me.
My challenge was to make the commitment. Once I did I made the time for my practice so that it could develop.
This required a leap of faith, but I soon noticed several important benefits. Through regular meditation practice, I was calmer and took less time to make decisions. I needed less sleep and had more energy.
It was interesting to me that I always seemed to have plenty of time to meditate and to do what I wanted. I now have an active practice as a life coach but even as an attorney, I always had plenty of time to enjoy my family, practice yoga, play music and meditate.
Many would be practitioners get hung up on the form or technique, thinking that there is one way that guarantees enlightenment. Whether to have a mantra, or to listen to the breath or to watch one’s thoughts becomes more important than actually meditating. The focus then becomes a search rather than a journey. Remember it’s the practice not the technique that makes a difference in your life.
The technique or form of meditation is a means to take us from the external to inner states of being. I like to use the metaphor of a huge lake with an island in the center. The shores of the lake represent the outer world and the island represents the deepest parts of our being where we connect with the infinite intelligence of the universe.
The concept of NAMASTE is a way of saying that the deepest part of my being is connected to the deepest most sacred part of yours. It’s another way of describing what is possible through meditation.
In the early years, my commitment to a daily practice and belief in the ultimate benefits of meditation kept me going. That is not the case now. Over time, my relationship to my practice transformed and I no longer require an external reason to meditate. I no longer meditate because I made a commitment.
When I meditate consistently, I feel happier, more content and more connected to everyone and everything in my universe. There are fewer bad days. I don’t need as much sleep; I am more enthusiastic about each day and have a deeper experience of inner peace. When I don’t meditate, I feel like something is missing. I look forward to getting up in the morning to meditate. It sets the tone for the rest of the day. I look back over the last thirty years and think of all the changes that have occurred in the world and in my personal life. I have no control over these changes and there will be many more to come. But to an extent, I can control my reaction to these changes and events.
The one constant in my life has been my meditation practice– and no one can take that away from me. It is not like a job or a relationship or a world event that is unpredictable. Choosing to meditate is totally within my domain.
At this point in my life it is the communion with the spirit nature of my being that gives my life real meaning. For me, that is the result of the meditation. I don’t even question it. If I miss a session once in a while I don’t make a big deal of it because I know I will return to it the following day. And on that day, I may smile for no reason or even lose my ability to worry.
JOURNEY ON
MARK
Mark Susnow’s life has been an unfolding journey of discovery. A former trial attorney for 30 years and musician, he integrates what it takes to be successful in the world with the inner wisdom unfolded to him through years of yoga and meditation. Whether coaching one-on-one, speaking to groups, or leading a retreat, he shares his message that regardless of our life’s circumstances, we can find more joy and meaning in our life. He is a sought after speaker and coauthor along with Zig Ziglar and Brian Tracy and other experts in the book 101 Great Ways to Improve your Life. Mark’s new book, Dancing on the River…Finding Joy and Meaning in the Midst of Change will be released in early 2010. mark@inspirepossibility.com 415.453.5016
