There are moments in life when you are unexpectedly and inexplicably happy. This can happen at the sight of a beautiful flower, or when you come out of the forest to a clearing or around a bend, suddenly there is an immensely beautiful view. Sometimes only when the wind blows through the leaves or over a field of wheat or sparkles in the clear night sky, the stars, and touches me for a breath of eternity. All experiences share the experience of a “wider” world, a world beyond daily life, or the experience of opening up an inner space. Such or similar experiences can be made without the conditions described above: through meditation. The senses are directed inwards. One experiences a great inner space of silence, which can be enriched with many beautiful pictures but can also be empty. When you enter such an inner space, the first experience is that of deep silence and peace and happiness, similar to what one experiences in nature.
I can experience that feeling through meditation. It is not only an enrichment for the moment, but can give me energy for the whole day. Therefore, it is advisable to meditate in the morning, preferably in the early morning, before the noisy restlessness of everyday life begins.
Most of our attempts to be happy and the usual remedies to our unhappiness depend on external things that are unreliable and changeable: better work, new relationships, material things, travel plans, etc. But if we simply replace one circumstance with the next, it does not eliminate our fears or loneliness or dissatisfaction, because they are rooted in ourselves and not with the transitoriness of the world to be satisfied. A Greek poet once said: “No ship can carry you away from yourself.” – and that’s so true! There’s nothing wrong with having all these things, just believing that these alone are enough to fulfill you, that’s not right. Meditation is an inner search for happiness, gradually bringing about a desireless satisfaction that has nothing to do with where you are, who you are and what you own It is an inner achievement that brings you back your deeper spiritual being that many of us have forgotten exists. With practice, meditation will bring about inner peace, a life free from stress and anxiety. Real happiness is like the fragrance of the soul.
What you can gain through meditation?
There are many benefits to be gained through meditation, and often they show up after a short, sincere practice time. On the physical level, you can expect to sleep better as you can gradually resolve stress and negative thoughts. And because our physical health is so closely linked to our thoughts and minds – wholeness! – brings a stronger sense of peace, also new vitality and vitality.
You will laugh more, live more in the heart and become more intuitive! You will just feel happier. You will slowly develop true inner serenity, a growing inner calm as a counterbalance to the endless challenges of life. This is really something valuable! And as our practice deepens, the benefits gained in all areas of life are spreading – to the extent to which we perceive and deal with each fleeting moment. It is a skill that turns our existence inside out.
At the highest level, meditation rejoins our deepest potentials, revealing the great mystery of who we really are – and that’s not just the mind, body, personality, or gender. We are in fact spiritual beings and the great pursuit of what is called “enlightenment” or self-realization becomes more and more a reality for us as we begin to see and feel the great joy and freedom of our souls.
How do you start as a beginner?
Start with a modest and achievable goal by simply creating some space in your life – maybe ten minutes in the morning – in which you do one or two simple exercises that calm your mind. Take only one week as your goal: take your first goal as a meditation on each of the seven days of the week. That sounds easy. However, it is a challenge to integrate a new, unknown habit into a life in which you have already prioritized other things. You need real sincerity! Come to one of our free meditation classes and learn the ABC. Create a special place in your room, a small shrine with a flower or a candle as the focal point. Incense helps to enhance the atmosphere and inspiration. Working with exercises that silence the mind: breathing techniques, visualizations, mantras.
How long does it take for me to feel something positive?
One day, one week, one month … who knows? Just start and find out! We are all in different stages, on different journeys, though we face the same challenges: mastering the mind and finding our way back to our deeper nature. You do not meditate to have beautiful experiences, but to progress, as if you have embarked on a wonderful journey. Some days are enriching and easy, others difficult.
Meditation is a divine gift. Meditation simplifies our outer life and strengthens our inner life. Meditation gives us a natural and spontaneous life, a life that becomes so natural and spontaneous that we can not breathe without being aware of our own divinity. Meditation does not mean just sitting there for five or ten minutes. It requires conscious effort. The mind has to be made calm and quiet. At the same time, he has to be vigilant so that he does not let any disturbing thoughts or desires into him. If we can calm our minds, we will feel a new creation dawning in us. When the mind is empty and still and all of our existence becomes an empty vessel, our inner being can invoke infinite peace, infinite light and infinite bliss to flow into and fill this vessel. That is meditation.
– Sri Chinmoy