What is meditation?
For me meditation is taking some time for myself. Time to sit in silence, to sit with myself. There is nothing I have to do, I just have to be. It is getting some much needed rest in times that are busy but also gives me energy when I am exhausted or life is asking a little too much of me. It helps me to find back my balance in life. And especially when I don't feel like it, it is just what I need. Taking that time to get back to me.
But what exactly is meditation? If you ask me you can devide meditation in two parts: the first is the meditationpractice and the second is being in meditation. So you meditate or you are in meditation. Even though both are closely linked together there for sure is a difference between the two of them.
MEDITATIONPRACTICE
The word already gives it away, PRACTICE. When you sit down with the intension to meditate, to be present in the here and now, it actually already is a meditationpractice. There are different techniques you could use like vipassana, metta etc. While you sit there, doing whatever meditation, your thoughts will wander and you will notice all sorts of different things, thoughts, emotions, physical sensations. Every time you notice that you got distracted you acknowledge it and go back to your anchor, your meditationobject. That is the practice. You practice your concentration, stying with you anchor. You practice your attention, when you notice your thoughts were somewhere else. gentleness, you don't judge yourself when you wander off but bring yourself back to your anchor in a gentle way. End in the end you als practice awareness, you will learn to follow and be aware of your anchor in more and more subtle ways, as an observer.
These are al practices that will help you in your daily life. That you take with you when you get up from your pillow and integrate in the unfolding of each new day. In everything you do.
BEING IN MEDITATION
And then there is being in meditation. During your meditationpractice there most likely will only be a few moments where you will actually be in meditation. The more experience you get, you will notice the moments will last longer and appear more frequently. When you are in meditation you are completely present in the here and now, in the moment. Your awareness and concentration are fully on and you are able to relax in it. There only is this moment, nothing besides rightnow. Quiet, space and awareness. Your thoughts fade into the background and you just are.
When people are talking about meditation they often refere to meditationpractice. Still I think it is useful to know the difference. For me this makes it much clearer what meditation is. That said, this is how I personally interpret meditation. And even though I teach, I am a student most of all. Someone else might have a completely different idea of what meditation is and that is okey. So take with you what feels right for you in this moment and if you have a different idea about what meditation is, do let me know. I always think it is interesting to hear what other have to say on the subject. Especially with something as "intangible" as meditation.
That was it for today. Goodluck with the next steps on your bridge. I wish you all the happiness and an amazing day.
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