THIS is the meditation

Do you work out/exercise? Why?

Do you go to the doctor or dentist? Why?

Do you get the oil changed on your car (unless you have an EV, of course)?

Do you clean the gutters on your house (if you have one)?

The reason you most likely do this is not because you particularly love the elliptical, getting your teeth cleaned, paying for car service, or removing leaves.

The reason you engage in these activities is because of what you can do once you have done them.

You can have a healthier life with fewer injuries.

You don’t walk around with tooth pain or get waylaid by preventable maladies.

Your car doesn’t let you down when you need it.

And your gutters don’t flood.

And THIS is why we meditate.

It’s not because of what we think may-or may not-happen while we are “sitting on the cushion.”

We do it because the practice of sitting on the cushion helps us build the muscles of awareness, perception, and impulse control, so that, when we “get off the cushion,” our lives are richer.

We notice more things.

We appreciate more things.

We increase the time between stimulus and response.

If you go into meditation expecting magic to happen, there’s a good chance you’ll come away disappointed.

If you go in with the humility that the daily practice of mindfulness and focused attention will help you-over time- improve the quality of life, it is my belief you’ll end up with more satisfaction.

The REAL meditation is the 23 hours and 30 minutes (or whatever) that you aren’t practicing meditation.

That’s when you are living the meditation.

Reading this blog post now IS the meditation.

So is writing it.

Thank you for your intentional attention.

Originally posted on my blog: https://mirror.xyz/0x7201079Be2BDD71CbE9B999373752E731139fe33/Q7vhRN2KyDnEod1D6YMwyEBDHvZTTneNm4UZPlVWZyE