Why are so many – so stressed? Our societies seem to be running on empty even though our days are filled to the brim. As night falls, we drop onto our sofas with a thud, exhausted and yet unable to really relax because of the thoughts whirling in our tired minds of things undone or what we still have to do tomorrow.
Overtired, yet unable to put our mind on pause, we pop tranquilizers and sleep aids like M & M’s, often using the addiction to drugs and/or alcohol to cope, and then wonder why we seem to live in a fog, with stress nibbling constantly at the edges of consciousness.
Whew – I feel stressed just writing about stress. Do you remember the Coke ad from the ’70s? A large choir sang “I’d like to teach the world to sing in perfect harmony?” My song would be “I’d like to teach the world to meditate and then there would be less need to medicate.”
This solution to stress is too easy – too simple – and too often, ignored. Some say to me that they feel like they are wasting their time when they sit quietly for 10 or 15 minutes and this frankly puzzles me. These same people then spend tons of money and time trying to relax through pills, alcohol, or endless expensive distractions that might work for a short time but not in the long run.
The gentle art of meditation invites your life to run smoother, and your emotions to remain calmer and gives us the blessed ability to have wonderful sleep and dream time. Imagine a world where everyone starts their day balanced, joyful and peaceful. Every person they meet is treated with gentleness and respect because we feel good! The ripple effect would be a great soothing wave of peace reverberating around the world. Such is the power of meditation.
Remember back to a time, perhaps you were lazing near a beach, listening to the water caress the sand. Feeling loose, limp, and lazy, your mind was wonderfully empty of any pressing thoughts, and life at that moment was very, very good. This is the feeling of MEDITATION. Mother Nature intends for us to have a calm and peaceful mind and surrounds us with the wind in the trees, the buzz of bees, the songs of our feathered friends, and the soothing sound of water.
In an ideal world, we would go to our Doctor and complain that we are exhausted, short-tempered, unable to sleep, and so on. The Doctor would pull out the prescription pad and write the prescription – “Learn to Meditate, 1x daily, repeat; for Life. There would be the inscription: Warning – Side effects include relief from stress, good night’s sleep, lowered blood pressure, cheerful countenance, joie de vivre.
I realize that we cannot always run to the beach, lie under the trees or listen to the birds and the bees. We do however always have the choices of taking every golden opportunity that life presents us when it comes to our well-being. To meditate does take a decision and a small commitment of time and effort. You decide to make a difference, you know you need to change, and you know that this is something you have always wanted to do. Meditating is about you and the way you think and feel, that’s all. You do not have to sit cross-legged and hum or do anything that is out of the ordinary.
All you do is learn how to find the golden peace and silence that already exists within. So simple, so fun, and so rewarding, and yet it will change your life. I am passionate about meditation as I’m sure you have noticed. I truly believe that this gentle art can change our world, one person at a time!