The Underestimated Power of Meditation

December has traditionally been a difficult month for me as I find the holidays very stressful. The only December that brought me joy was the December my oldest child, John, was born. To add to my misery of that month, in 1996 I lost my baby on December 11. This past December was not only the worst December of my life, but it was also a turning point for me. It was the first December that I had to celebrate both John’s birthday and the holidays without his physical presence. I literally fell apart; however, I feel there is a positive side even to events and things that appear negative. This past December caused me to realize that I needed to do something before I destroyed myself, which in and of itself I would not have cared except for the fact that I had my youngest child to think of.

Although New Year’s resolution have never worked for me in the past I thought I would give it another try and this time I have stuck with it and it is already September! I started to hear much talk about the benefits of meditation and started to do research on it. I have to admit that what I read scared me as I did not think I was capable of meditation. You see, I have ADHD of the mind. My mind never slows down, never relaxes. Through my research I found that everyone has different ways of meditating. I tried each and every way I read about until I found one that worked for me. Although I read many articles, I found youtube.com videos the most helpful. I watched many teachers on meditation and weighed their advice to find what resonated with me.

The best advice I found was not to judge. Do not judge yourself or your thoughts. I know that most people say your mind should be totally clear when meditating but this is not possible for all individuals, particularly when first learning to meditate. I heard one person say that while meditating, should you have a thought, just let it pass through without judgment. Imagine puffy clouds in the sky and each cloud is a thought. Just let the cloud pass through the sky and eventually there will be fewer and fewer clouds. I will admit that at first I became angry with myself for having thoughts; however, once I learned to not resist the thoughts, they did become fewer and fewer.

There are meditations to nature sounds, music, guided meditations and binaural beats. There are meditations for almost every situation. Due to my overactive mind, I found that binaural beats worked best for me. Binaural (meaning “two ears”) are sounds that go into each ear at different pitches; therefore, you need headphones or ear buds to use these. The difference in pitches changes your brainwaves and assists in getting into a meditative state. You can find binaural beats alone or with music or nature sounds added to them. Many people purchase binaural beat recordings; however, I found it unnecessary to purchase any type of meditation aid as youtube.com has wonderful meditation videos for free. You may simply search “meditation” or the type of meditation you are specifically looking for.

I would also like to point out that meditation is not just sitting in a lotus position with a blank mind. Meditation takes many forms. It usually occurs when you are involved in your passion (creativity). I know many people feel they are not creative; however, I disagree. We are creative beings. Creativity is not just art, music or writing. It can be cooking, running your household, exercising, etc. Whatever is your passion that puts you in the “zone” where there is no longer time is creative. When you are

creating your mind goes into that meditative state. So, I suggest when you first embark on meditation, start with your passion. Use that to achieve meditation and then work towards what most consider traditional meditation.

I like to start my day with a chakra balancing meditation and/or a relaxation meditation. Later in the day I will do any meditation that feels “right” to me. Hopefully, at the end of the day, I am able to do another meditation; however, this is not always the case. Do not feel you have to meditate several times a day. What works for me may not work for you. This is perfectly fine. Start slow. Do what you can and you will find, with persistence, your meditation will improve and grow.

I have found that meditation has changed my life. As any grieving parent, I have my dark days, but they do not last as long and meditation helps get me through them. I now know that the dark times end and I can make it through them (as a very wise man once pointed out to me). I am more focused and calm. I am more open to others and the spiritual. I am a different person. I am not who I was. “I now know who I am, I know what I am and I know how I serve” (The Book of Knowing and Worth: A Channeled Text).