Serenity now (Week 29)
"Suddenly we find ourselves in the midst of the world, yet undisturbed by its multiplicity, for in our innermost soul we know ourselves to be one with all being."
Every few years, I bring down a tattered copy of Hermann Hesse's classic Siddhartha from my shelf and get re-acquainted with the story of Buddha. As a teenager, it was my first encounter with the meditative life and the eternal search for truth within yourself. Unlike some of my deeper-thinking friends, though, I didn't embrace the teachings. Never once did I sit cross-legged in meditation. So why not give that a whirl in my advancing years? Why not try seven straight days of meditation and see where that leads?
Like so many people in our modern world, I turned immediately to the App Store on my phone. That's where I came across Headspace, which was named one of the 6 best meditation apps of 2018. I liked the fact that it was simple and included cute little animations that helped me understand what I was trying to accomplish. Being cheap, I also liked that I could try it out for a week without paying a cent. After that, it starts at 8 bucks a month, so we'll have to see about that one.
I imagined myself spending time in a serene spot like the woods where I'd been forest bathing a few weeks before. I also thought I'd be meditating for at least half an hour every day. But nope. Headspace starts you out with easy 3-minute meditation exercises that you can do anywhere. It's especially easy if you have a set of headphones and a quiet space to listen to your Headspace guide, who can be either male or female, depending on your preference.
First, though, I needed to think about why I was doing this. What was I hoping to gain from these little 3-minute exercises? Would I suddenly transform into a peaceful all-knowing Buddha? Would my entire perspective on life change? Nah.
Meditation is great for a bunch of reasons, and real science backs it up. I know yoga instructors have their own theories and beliefs too, but I prefer to get my learning from people in lab coats. Reducing stress and improving sleep are kinda blindingly obvious, so I was looking for something a little more unique. Two, in particular, caught my attention. Meditation can lengthen attention span, and reduce age-related memory loss. Okay, now those are worth testing out.
After a week of nightly meditations, I found myself listening a little more deeply to conversations, which can normally be a challenge for me. I think it's because I had become a little more patient in my approach to others, partly because meditation allows you to focus on things that matter while blocking out the many distractions life throws at us. As for the memory, you'll have to test me on that one down the road some time.
Now, here's one side effect I'm really hoping is true. Meditation improves your kindness. That's going to lead straight into my next weekly resolution to be kind to strangers.
Taking a page out of Siddhartha, I'm hoping to become a kinder kind of me.
NEXT WEEK: Paying it forward!
Every few years, I bring down a tattered copy of Hermann Hesse's classic Siddhartha from my shelf and get re-acquainted with the story of Buddha. As a teenager, it was my first encounter with the meditative life and the eternal search for truth within yourself. Unlike some of my deeper-thinking friends, though, I didn't embrace the teachings. Never once did I sit cross-legged in meditation. So why not give that a whirl in my advancing years? Why not try seven straight days of meditation and see where that leads?
Like so many people in our modern world, I turned immediately to the App Store on my phone. That's where I came across Headspace, which was named one of the 6 best meditation apps of 2018. I liked the fact that it was simple and included cute little animations that helped me understand what I was trying to accomplish. Being cheap, I also liked that I could try it out for a week without paying a cent. After that, it starts at 8 bucks a month, so we'll have to see about that one.
First, though, I needed to think about why I was doing this. What was I hoping to gain from these little 3-minute exercises? Would I suddenly transform into a peaceful all-knowing Buddha? Would my entire perspective on life change? Nah.
Meditation is great for a bunch of reasons, and real science backs it up. I know yoga instructors have their own theories and beliefs too, but I prefer to get my learning from people in lab coats. Reducing stress and improving sleep are kinda blindingly obvious, so I was looking for something a little more unique. Two, in particular, caught my attention. Meditation can lengthen attention span, and reduce age-related memory loss. Okay, now those are worth testing out.
After a week of nightly meditations, I found myself listening a little more deeply to conversations, which can normally be a challenge for me. I think it's because I had become a little more patient in my approach to others, partly because meditation allows you to focus on things that matter while blocking out the many distractions life throws at us. As for the memory, you'll have to test me on that one down the road some time.
Now, here's one side effect I'm really hoping is true. Meditation improves your kindness. That's going to lead straight into my next weekly resolution to be kind to strangers.
Taking a page out of Siddhartha, I'm hoping to become a kinder kind of me.
NEXT WEEK: Paying it forward!
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