Is Meditation for Relaxation Only?
Many people use meditation for relaxation, and it is easy to understand why. When you breath deep and calm your thoughts, stress is diminished. And this isn't just a matter of feeling better at the moment. Many illnesses are caused by or made worse by too much stress. So even if it is never more than a relaxation technique, meditation is a very healthy practice.
But meditation certainly has higher purposes than relaxation alone. One of the most valuable things you can get from it isn't temporary relief of stress, but a truer understanding of yourself. In fact, the self awareness that results can lead you to a whole new approach to life that is healthier in every way. Let's look at how this can happen.
Here's a simple experiment that you can do today, to see how limited your awareness may be. At some point when you are rushing around the house, or busy at work, stop and go outside for a short and slow walk. Look around as you walk, but say nothing, and try to ignore the thoughts going through your head. Stop at some point and sit quietly on a bench if possible.
What you may notice is that there are sounds, smells and activity everywhere that you were not aware of before you slowed down and quieted your mind. If you see a bird, don't think "bird." Just watch it. Allow yourself to hear the wind rustling the leaves without any mental commentary. For a moment don't try to think about what any of this means or make it into some new "theory." Just be silent and be aware. This is actually a kind of meditation itself.
Once you've done this and become aware of how much you normally miss, think about what is going on inside you. Then you can understand the possibilities such an quietly observant state has. All of the noise and activity that you see and hear outside you is also inside your mind. Sit in meditation and you start to see and hear that as well. Images, ideas, arguments, memories, dreams, demands and more.
The Promise Of Meditation
Meditate regularly and you learn how much incessant argument and explanation is going on just below the surface. Remain aware and you'll see how this internal dialog pushes you this way and that. We are so mechanical in our reactions, even as we tell ourselves that we are free and in control. Seeing this as an observer of your own thoughts, you'll feel less inclined to listen to the bad-advice from your own mind - you'll open yourself up to better ways.
The more you get past this identification you have (we all do) with your own thoughts, the more you'll begin to act intuitively and without so much conflict. Consider how you walk. You learned with great concentration, but now if you stopped to think about where to put each step you would probably fall. Similarly, many areas of life need less thought to stumble over, and more direct action which proceeds from what you see. Yes, there is an intelligence beyond words (though this in no way denigrates the power and usefulness of human language and thought).
Also, when you reach the point where your mind quiets even just a little, you begin to experience a self beyond thoughts. Normally, when you think of yourself you bring up a collection of flattering and/or condemnatory images and ideas. But you are not what you think you are - you are something beyond those thoughts. And though you can say such a thing intellectually, even then you're talking to yourself and experiencing a thought-self that is very limited.
Experiencing the reality of existence outside of your thoughts is something else entirely, and it helps you detach from the "created self" that gets us all into so much trouble. Metaphorically, we are asleep and under the spell of a mind that seeks to perpetuate itself without regard to our needs. This helps explain how after a lifetime of our own "lower self " misleading us, we still listen to its advice. It helps us understand why we do bad things even though we say we "know better." On some level we do know better - but we aren't always thinking or acting from that level.
Meditation has the potential to help us wake up and see reality more directly. "Right action" then proceeds from what is seen, and thought becomes a tool subservient to our true interests, rather than having a life of its own at our expense. Meditation for relaxation, then, might be a nice start, but consider these higher purposes it can serve.
Related Tags: meditation, relaxation, self awareness, meditation for relaxation
Copyright Steve Gillman. Visit The Meditation Site to get the free Meditation Newsletter: http://www.TheMeditationSite.com.
Recent articles in this category:
- How to Get Rid of Head Lice, Remove Head Lice
Head lice are tiny bugs that live in the hair of humans. It is common for children to get them at sc - Body Detoxification Methods and Techniques
There are several indications that it is time for someone to detoxify his or her body. The symptoms - Muscle Building Diets
Muscle Gaining Secrets Do you know that the #1 most important principle of fast muscle gain is overl - Should You Buy Skin Care Products With Vitamin C
Its no secret that vitamins are very powerful in keeping our body health because they contain potent - Lose Your Weight Consistently
Are you concerned about your weight regaining after a certain period? Well, it's obvious for you to - Colour and How it Can Affect Your Mood and Improve Your Image
Have you ever thought about why you sometimes want to wear one colour and another day you choose so - How is Tap Water Tested for Contamination?
Have you ever sat and wondered exactly how is tap water tested for contamination? What you really - Hair Care and Styles
Feeling like getting a new haircut but Clueless in finding your next haircut. Like to be updated on - Being on a Diet Doesn't Have to be a Bad Experience
<!-- @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } --> There are som - Rapid Weight Loss - 4 Secrets That You Might not Have Thought About
There are going to be times in everyone's life that they either just think about rapid weight los
Most viewed articles in this category:
- Meridia - Potent Anti Obesity Pill
BMI (Body Mass Index) of 30 or more is an alarm signal. This puts you in a high health risk category - Stress - Simple Tips to Reduce Stress Quickly & Easily
We all know the word stress and most of us know when we are being stressed, but do you know the symp - Atkins and Diabetes
The Atkins diet principles lay the foundation for a healthy, more balanced way of eating than the st - Physical Therapy Exercises
The procedures of physical therapy are diverse. Physical therapy combines a variety of methods and t - Each One is Immersed in His/her Own World!
The world perceived by us all is not exactly as it appears to be. The reality is this that the mater - Do you Need of Anti-reflective Coating Glasses?
Anti-Reflective Coating is a coating on the lens surface designed to reduce surface reflections and - 2007 My Year of Self-reliance
2007 My Year of Self-Reliance At the close of the year in the western tradition, we tend to ove - Top 10 Tips for a Healthier Home
Kyoto Accord or not, it seems clear that Canadians are preparing to help lead the way in learning to - Does it Matter What you Eat While you are Taking Medicine?
The efficiency of some medicine really depends on what you eat and drink. Some foods can counteract - Considerations for Buying a Home Treadmill
Throughout the years, the quest to achieve a healthier body, mind and spirit has extended to the kin