THE MANY DIFFERENT TRADITIONS OF MEDITATION

Nobody really knows, but it’s safe to say that meditation began millennia ago, when our predecessors first gazed into a fire. From the simple pastime of fire-gazing, sprang a plethora of inward-focused practices as varied and different as the many individuals concerned, and in time people began to refer to whatever they were doing as, “meditation”. What a long, strange trip it’s been.

How many seconds are there in a minute? How many minutes are in an hour? How many hours in a day? And on, and on-- you get the idea-- there are about that many different meditation traditions.

So, why are so many people hung up on asserting that meditation is one-- and only one-- thing? Meditation can be-- and is-- many different things, to many different people. To anyone who may disagree, I would quote a wise man (or more accurately, a fictional bear) named Winnie the Pooh, who once said, “Oh, bother”.

Some meditation traditions are personal and peculiar, and some are recognized by many. Some traditions are endorsed or taught by respected teachers, and at least one has become a nationally-recognized religion. Whatever the case, most all traditions are fairly regarded as meditation, in one form or another.

Notwithstanding all the differences, many of us in the Western world remain ignorant of, or skeptical about, what is monolithically referred to as, “meditation”. The lack of understanding is unfortunate and obviously cultural, but with a bit of education and personal experience, it can be remedied.

I understand the hesitation, and even the resistance to investigating something with which we are basically unfamiliar. I was hesitant, too-- until I wasn’t. I also understand the constant press of other matters, whether personal, or professional. As a lawyer of 40 years, father of 3, and husband of 1, I encountered more than my share of distractions and disincentives.

But you know what? The power of silence and stillness-- forget about the other trappings of meditation-- finally caught my attention and even though, at first, it seemed to have nothing to do with anything else, I came to realize that silence and stillness have a lot to do with everything else-- a whole lot.

Specifically, the silence and stillness that I have come to recognize as a fundamental component of all meditation traditions, has helped me become less reactive and more responsive. The silence and stillness havs also led me to become more accepting, and more reflective.

Sure, I’m still susceptible to reaction sometimes, and I’m not always as accepting as I’d like to be. I still feel strongly about some things, and I can still disagree loudly with others who may not share the same view of things, that I feel are important-- after all, I’m still human.

Bottom line, you might say that I’m a better version of the same guy I’ve always been. I’m training to be a better version of myself, because that’s what all forms of meditation are-- at their core, they’re all training-- brain training.

Training ourselves to better manage our thoughts, and better manage our feelings-- training ourselves to better manage our moods and emotions. Training ourselves to become better versions of ourselves by getting to know, and become more comfortable with, our minds-- much the same as we’ve gotten to know and become more comfortable with, our bodies.

There will never likely be an Olympic competition for meditation. Among other things, none of the many meditation traditions that I’m aware of, include anything even close to the spectacle of physical competition-- and that’s largely what the Olympics are all about.

But, similar to the athletes who train to compete with other athletes every four years in the Olympics, we meditators train our minds to observe thought and feeling with dispassionate curiosity then let them pass, again and again and again. That’s the cycle of meditation I was taught.

Training is a form of discipline, and we all have “good” days and “bad” days-- days when we’re feeling it, and days when we’re not. What’s more, training is often repetitive and sometimes monotonous. Worse yet, results are usually not immediate--nor are they obvious. That’s when the encouragement of a coach can really help.

Depending on our ultimate goal, the training regimen will, of course, differ: Speed work, intervals or long-distance running-- strength work or cardio-vascular exercise-- it really all depends. The same is true of the many different meditation traditions, and we should begin the meditation journey by asking ourselves: What is it we want to accomplish?

Not sure what your meditation goals are? Nirvana is likely out of reach for many of us-- in fact, some of us may not even care about it. But, a lot of other goals may be more relevant, and more concrete, like self-awareness or self-care. Maybe even the broader goal of personal wellbeing. Whatever the case may be, chose your goal first, then model your practice to achieve it-- not the other way around.

And allow your goal to evolve, or change. Flexibility is not often thought of in the same breath as meditation, but in point of fact, the practice can be as flexible (and practical) as we need it to be. That’s what meditation in the 21st century should be.

Whatever we choose to do, we can’t let the practice of meditation to overwhelm or discourage us. Start simple, and grow at your own pace. Learn to walk, before we start to run--there are lots of different ways to skin the meditation cat.

Meditation is an aspirational practice, and each of us have different aspirations. What’s more, the aspirations that are important today, may very well be different tomorrow. The same can be true of our meditation practice.

There are many different meditation traditions-- even some new traditions (like my practice of Secular Meditation). Diversity, equity and inclusion (“DEI”) is a hot topic of conversation in the business world, these days-- maybe that same conversation can become relevant to the meditation world?

The practice of meditation can be-- and is-- diverse. Meditation can be-- and is-- equitable. Meditation can be-- and is-- inclusive.

Regardless of one’s tradition and the different avenues various traditions may recommend or require, meditation can be a wonderfully rewarding practice to pursue.