Mindfulness Meditation

The practice of Mindfulness Meditation brings your awareness into the present moment. Instead of dwelling elsewhere, like the past, the future, or on some disconnected train of thought, you learn to dwell in the now. As we learn to stay in the present we begin to see both the inner and outer aspects of reality. Internally, you will start to notice that the mind is continually chattering with commentary or judgment. Externally, you realize that your presence and personal power are half of what they could be. By simply noticing that the mind is continually running useless, and often negative, commentary, you gain the ability to observe those thoughts from the outside and see them for what they are without aversion, judgment, or criticism.

An early benefit of meditation is that you start to realize that thoughts are just thoughts. You start to see that your thoughts are not the concrete reality or absolute truth they claim to be. You begin to observe your life from the outside instead of getting trapped within your own mental commentary.

We are all bothered by this inner commentary since much of it is not kind or pleasant. This is why we use distractions such as going to the movies, drinking, drugs, sex, parties and so on. We attempt to distract ourselves from our own mental garbage. This strategy, however, does not work very well since it gets us even more into the habit of looking the other way, of not seeing of what is actually going on. This is what French Philosopher Pascal referred to when he said: All of man’s difficulties are caused by his inability to sit quietly in a room by himself.

As you keep walking down the path of Mindfulness Meditation you realize that your happiness is not a quality brought about by a change in your outer circumstances, but rather that your happiness is more a quality of letting go of the perception that your thoughts, predispositions, and stories are the entirety of who you are.

This is the beginning of the freedom and joy we all are seeking and is attainable through the practice of meditation.

This growing ability to be more deliberate with your thoughts starts to fill you with confidence. You notice that you can increasingly rely on yourself. You know that you are stronger than the worries and insecurities your mind dishes up–often at the worst times. You might even be able to smile at the ridiculous stuff your mind is able to conjure. You finally start to live your potential, becoming your own best friend with a steady hand and a kind heart.

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