Meditation: What You Don’t Do When You Should

I’m terrible when it comes to meditating regularly. I can honestly say I avoid it like the plague. It’s not that I don’t enjoy it or find it beneficial. I do but I get stressed over work and finances and avoid it. I drop it from my routine just when I need it the most.

It’s not that I find meditation hard but that it’s easy that I avoid it. I can easily spend an hour dropping out of mundane reality focusing on breath and relaxation or journeying to the Otherworld. Sometimes spending 10 minutes in meditation is like eating a single potato chip: I’ve only whetted my appetite.

This is especially true when I’m stressed. It takes time to get myself into deep relaxation and once there I want to meditate long enough to satisfy my soul. I’ve sat in meditation circles where we were rushed through a meditation in 10 minutes, and I felt cheated of the experience.

It’s true that if you practice regularly and are already relaxed when you begin you can hit that deep quiet experience faster. However, when you really need it, when finances, work, family and your love life all seem to be conspiring against you and you haven’t had any downtime, then it can take time to get what you need from meditation. And if time is already in short supply…

Meditation isn’t merely a practice. It’s a commitment. You wouldn’t ignore your loved ones when life gets hectic, would you? Remember that being busy is no excuse to not take care of yourself. Eat, sleep, exercise and practice your faith. Meditate to attune yourself to the spirits and energies of your path. Gain that peace of mind that will see you through the tough times with serenity.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I better go practice what I preach!