Why Do We Meditate

What Is Meditation

Mindfulness may be understood as the state in which one becomes aware of one's physical, mental, and emotional condition in the present moment. Meditation is the practice of experiencing these bodily sensations, thoughts, feelings as they arise without judgment or the impulse to change them.

Mind = subjective experience                    Mindfulness = tuning into that experience

Why For The Mind

We live in a fast paced society focused on instant gratification and deriving worth from productivity.

Meditation works a muscle that helps us resist and counteract the worst of our culture. It is not so much what happens during a fifteen minute meditation (don't think it is not working if you do not immediately feel better- that is our quick fix culture) rather you are planting seeds during the meditation and it flowers spontaneously throughout your day and life.

Our mind wanders 6-8 times per minute. The mind is always chattering and it often says scary or limiting things. The mind is wonderful when it is being used as a tool. It is not so wonderful when it is calling the shots. Suspending thought by focusing on the breath helps us to interrupt rumination and intrusive thought patterns. The breath, as well as the senses, are what anchor us into the present moment. Depression from the past and anxiety over the future cannot exist when we are present.

Meditation reduces activity in the Default Mode Network in the medial prefrontal cortex of the brain which can fixate on consideration about ‘who I am’, compare ourselves to others, and our ideals in life. Meditation quotes the Amygdala which is responsible for our fear response and actually enlarges post trauma. Meditation has the same power as an antidepressant. New knowledge and experience creates new neural pathways in the brain through stimulation. We form new habits by reinforcing these new pathways through repetition. This actually changes the brain as old pathways die off in the process known as synaptic pruning. We stimulate our mind through meditation - and it retrains the brain. When we are consistent with our practice, the less susceptible we are to depression and anxiety episodes.

For The Body

The number one thing we need in order to heal is safety.

When our nervous system gets stuck in an over activated, survival response (also known as 'fight or flight') due to a trauma(s) or ongoing stress, we are unable to complete the stress response in the body and come back down to safety. Over time, this creates disorder in the body and we become more susceptible to dis-ease.

Meditation is like taking a vitamin. The more we practice calming our nervous system, the calmer it will be on a regular basis without great effort. Mental presence has the ability to alter molecules in the body, decrease inflammation, and reduce stress and chronic pain. In addition, research shows meditation increases T cells and IGA levels to assist in fighting off bacteria, viruses, and disease.

When we meditate, the amygdala (fear response) begins to quiet and the pre frontal cortex (responsible for being in the present, decision making, social connection, etc...) turns back on. Consistent meditation stimulates the pituitary gland to release the same neurotransmitters (dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin)  that we try to obtain from substances. We have the power to be our own medicine

When we are able to break free from an over activated nervous system response through the practice of meditation, we have more energy and recourses to expend to other systems in the body including deeper sleep, digestion, mental clarity and focus, ability to think creatively and abstractly.

For The Spirit

When we meditate, we open a door to connecting with our higher self and what is most aligned for us in this life. We are better able to quiet the mind, allowing the innate wisdom of the body and for our intuition to come through clearly.

There is an entire internal process that we can turn on like a light switch when we connect. It does not have to be through meditation- but our minds need to quiet, our breath needs to slow, and we need to feel that unshakable peace.

Mindfulness is part of the definition of self-compassion. Self-compassion is acceptance, non-judgment, connection. This is where transformation happens. When we stop seeking. When we allow ourselves to be and realize we are all that we need to be, right here, right now.

It has been said- Prayer is talking to Source, meditation is listening.

For The Collective

When we heal ourselves, we heal others.

Our presence affects everything around us. We effect the energy when we walk into a room. Human communication is made up of mostly non-verbal interaction. Our presence, our warmth, our smile .... We create a ripple effect.

Bringing in loving kindness allows for us to feel compassion and connection. All beings want to belong.

When Meditating Is Difficult

When we are so used to the 'fight or flight' response, slowing down can feel foreign and even unsafe to the nervous system. The mind doesn't want to slow down- it wants to stay addicted to the old self, to the adrenaline (motivation) and cortisol (stress hormone).

When we slow down, all the emotions we have been avoiding come up and we have an opportunity to pay attention to them, lean into them, allow them to be felt and to teach us. This is the only way they can be integrated - we must feel it to heal it.

The goal is not to be perfect or rid our mind of thought. The goal is to be aware of one's experience without judgment or trying to change it- acceptance of the present moment as it is.

The Invitation

Meditation does not have to mean sitting in a quiet room for an hour. It is when we pause throughout the day to breathe. In the days where we stop to see the sunset. In the conscious encounters when you are present with another being. Meditation is walking through our daily life awake and intentionally.