I don't really know how I managed to do it, but I've managed to make meditation a daily habit of mine.
It started with a simple 10-minute routine, following this youtube video -
And I'm extremely happy to share that via habit-stacking, I've been meditating for at least ten minutes a day, every day, since August 2023. This writeup is a collection of scattered thoughts on meditation, and what I think my dear readers can learn from my experiences.
Why Meditate?
There's no two ways about this - initially, it's extremely hard to get yourself to sit still, in one place, and do nothing.
Ironically, in today's world, that might be exactly what we need; a panacea away from the world of our screens, and the constant interruptions to the same hardware that created calculus, cured many a disease, and put us in space.
Something that I talk about (or rather, rue) constantly is how much our access to short-form content messes with our attention spans. Anyone who's spoken to a person in my age group in the recent past, or, hell, anyone with internet access, knows what I'm talking about - you open your phone to do something, see a youtube short or reel, and - poof - you've lost an hour! That the best minds of the future are currently doing the equivalent of running over their attention spans as though they were speedbreakers and burning out their dopamine receptors to algorithmically-driven content feeds has to be the tragedy of my generation.
Ranting aside, Meditation helps you connect with yourself in a space where your attention isn't constantly pulled away. Those of us with Anxiety perhaps may not want this outcome; sometimes the inside of your head isn't the most hospitable place, and that's alright. However, if you do decide that you need to get in touch with yourself and understand yourself, the world around you, and who you are in the present moment, better, then Meditation is for you.
The way I see it, Meditation is the act of being with yourself. This need not be mutually exclusive with doing other things; What matters is that you are aware of yourself, you are aware of your thoughts, and you are aware of your reaction to those thoughts. To put it succinctly, meditation is about awareness, or...
Say the line, bart!
Mediation is about Mindfulness.
Mindfulness as a Problem-Solving Framework for Anxious Overthinkers
Mindfulness is about being aware; of your thoughts, of your feelings, of your reactions to your thoughts and feelings, of your reactions to your reactions to... you get the point.
The way my brain works is that if there's something that's bugging me, it tries to figure out what I can do to solve it, to make that thing not bug me anymore. Is it fun? Arguably not; There are some things my mind just can't let go of!
I'll come back to this sometime
Meditation vs Meditativeness
Meditation need not mean praying! (Predominantly) In India, it's common for most people to look at any sort of mindfulness through the lens of religion, because that's the context we've been introduced to meditation in.
Meditation means different things to many people; the ultimate characteristic is that it's an activity that brings you some serenity, calm, and some mental clarity. Meditation is the practice of being in a meditative state, but it need not be the only way!
For example, here are some other things that put me in a semi-meditative state -
- Giving myself a clean shave with an old-fashioned razor (can't hurry this!)
- Driving
- Reading a textbook or any book
- Cooking, without music
Is is any coincidence that these are all things you can't do properly if you're looking at your phone? All these activities serve as a great "Reset" for me - if I've been scrolling too much, doing one of these things usually primes me to do more focussed work.
My Process of Meditation
When I start meditating - and now, I can do this without the video - I just find a spot that's relatively quiet, and use my watch as a timer for ten minutes. I close my eyes, and sit down with my back against the wall.
I start off with breath work. I make sure to feel, as well as I can, the air I am inhaling and exhaling as it goes through my nose and down into my lungs.
I then try and get the music in my head to shut off, usually by focussing on the outside world and what I can hear, and consciously trying to listen and pay attention to the sounds I'm hearing. All this time, there's a slow, deep breathing cycle going on.
I visualize my thoughts in an abstract manner, as a series of tiles/thumbnails, or as a series of things in flowing towards me. I acknowledge and accept my thoughts. I also call upon my innermost thoughts, the thoughts I've been sitting with for the last day, and accept them as well.
A large part of this whole process is accepting that you can't change or control what thoughts will pop up in your head. Accept their presence, because they will make themselves felt otherwise, and let them go. Want proof? Don't think of a Pink Elephant right now.
This is the most crucial piece; Perhaps this isn't strictly what is defined as meditation, but for me, it works.
Then I bring focus to my body, noticing where I'm sitting, and how my legs feel when they touch the ground or the chair I'm on. I try my best to consciously feel what my legs are feeling, and I notice that mentally tracing my legs from toe to hip, and then repeating for the other leg, and then consciously experiencing my back against the wall, really helps me realize that I am "here and now".
I end the process with some light stretches and some affirmations. This routine has evolved over time; a lot of things that I initially did aren't included in this definition right now, but that's alright. You, dear reader, will have your own process of exploration and finding out what you want, and what works for you.