3 Commitments – Part II: Meditation
As far as I remember for last 14 years I have been getting migraine attacks. This health issue has had its various bad consequences. I remember one time when I was in Ghana. Before setting foot on the aeroplane to Ghana, I had mentally tried to give a diktat to myself that I won’t get any migraine attack for that entire year I was going to be there. The eight months went very well and the season changed in February with sudden rise in the temperatures by about 100Celcius. While I was basking about my success of not getting any migraine, at an odd moment when I was typing something on a computer amidst a workshop, it just came. It was like a tremendous burst in the brain. After hurriedly handing over everything I was working on to my friend Joshua, I found myself lying on a bed in the guest room; fortunately there was a one there. The only thing at that moment I could do was to just pay attention to the extreme pain sensations in the head, the nausea and helplessness. Meditation is mainly about paying attention and it is difficult and it requires a skill.
After settling back in India, I made conscious decision of learning Yoga, Mindfulness and also went through a very difficult ordeal of completing a 10 Day Vipassana camp. It has helped but I have not been regular enough. The subject is vast, philosophical and spiritual at the same time. You can read it and debate it for as long as you wish. I think that’s what I have been doing for so many years while practicing less of it. It has not been part of my habits actually. I plan to practice it regularly for next 20 days. May be the practice will become strong enough to get integrated into a daily routine. What I plan to do is set aside 30 minutes daily early in the morning and pay attention to the breath. Breath serves as an anchor for your attention. It is that simple to understand but difficult when it comes to practice as your mind creates lot of distraction in the form of thoughts. During the day while I would be doing some work or blogging or checking my messages, I shall practice paying attention to the body sensations as they come and go.
In India there are two major streams of thought about practicing of meditation. One comes from Vipassana and the other comes from Yoga. While I have trained myself in Yoga, as far as meditation goes I prefer to follow Vipassana teachings more. Meditation has been subject of scientific research for quite some long time. It has been proved by the scientists that regular meditation helps to reduce stress, anxiety and depression. There are also reports suggesting to meditation practice helping to lead to better immunity. Above that I would say for sure that it would help you realise in some way that there is a presence of larger reality and your own existence is part of that. That makes a lot of difference in daily life.
Are you already practicing meditation? What have been your experiences? If you want to try it afresh do get some guidance from some experienced persons. Let’s see what happens after 20 days and update each other.
Best!
After settling back in India, I made conscious decision of learning Yoga, Mindfulness and also went through a very difficult ordeal of completing a 10 Day Vipassana camp. It has helped but I have not been regular enough. The subject is vast, philosophical and spiritual at the same time. You can read it and debate it for as long as you wish. I think that’s what I have been doing for so many years while practicing less of it. It has not been part of my habits actually. I plan to practice it regularly for next 20 days. May be the practice will become strong enough to get integrated into a daily routine. What I plan to do is set aside 30 minutes daily early in the morning and pay attention to the breath. Breath serves as an anchor for your attention. It is that simple to understand but difficult when it comes to practice as your mind creates lot of distraction in the form of thoughts. During the day while I would be doing some work or blogging or checking my messages, I shall practice paying attention to the body sensations as they come and go.
In India there are two major streams of thought about practicing of meditation. One comes from Vipassana and the other comes from Yoga. While I have trained myself in Yoga, as far as meditation goes I prefer to follow Vipassana teachings more. Meditation has been subject of scientific research for quite some long time. It has been proved by the scientists that regular meditation helps to reduce stress, anxiety and depression. There are also reports suggesting to meditation practice helping to lead to better immunity. Above that I would say for sure that it would help you realise in some way that there is a presence of larger reality and your own existence is part of that. That makes a lot of difference in daily life.
Are you already practicing meditation? What have been your experiences? If you want to try it afresh do get some guidance from some experienced persons. Let’s see what happens after 20 days and update each other.
Best!
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