Recently, I started meditating. There were several "inspiratory" factors (pun intended) that prompted me to try it out. Most notably, I read that an effective way to focus on the present and to sooth anxious feelings is to practice meditation. You're supposed to start out small: two minutes the first few times, then gradual increases, and eventually you become a master guru (or something like that).
Needless to say, I ignored this suggested process, opting instead to dive into a twenty-minute period of meditation my first time. I sat still, focused on my breathing, attempted to isolate certain feelings of anxiety and understand them as nothing more than passing thoughts, and ultimately tried to experience living in the moment.
Cheesy though it may be, upon opening my eyes at the end of this twenty-minute period I felt that my mindset had shifted slightly. As I looked around my room with a fresh perspective, I experienced a brief period of frisson in which I realized that everything around me had its own perfect order. And while this tranquility wore off gradually, I am happy to say that my first experience with meditation certainly gave me a lot to think about.
I found it interesting that all of my fearful thoughts about the future could be so easily assuaged, if only for a brief moment, by simply focusing on my breath and fixating on the present. I was also really pleased with the casual calmness that the exercise instilled in me. Moreover, at the end of it all, I felt much more aware of my own physical presence.
Therefore, my takeaway: meditation can be a useful tool in defeating unpleasant feelings. While I may not make a regular habit of doing it, I'd like to think that the next time I'm confronted with an emotional problem, it might serve me well to just sit and meditate on it.
Needless to say, I ignored this suggested process, opting instead to dive into a twenty-minute period of meditation my first time. I sat still, focused on my breathing, attempted to isolate certain feelings of anxiety and understand them as nothing more than passing thoughts, and ultimately tried to experience living in the moment.
Cheesy though it may be, upon opening my eyes at the end of this twenty-minute period I felt that my mindset had shifted slightly. As I looked around my room with a fresh perspective, I experienced a brief period of frisson in which I realized that everything around me had its own perfect order. And while this tranquility wore off gradually, I am happy to say that my first experience with meditation certainly gave me a lot to think about.
I found it interesting that all of my fearful thoughts about the future could be so easily assuaged, if only for a brief moment, by simply focusing on my breath and fixating on the present. I was also really pleased with the casual calmness that the exercise instilled in me. Moreover, at the end of it all, I felt much more aware of my own physical presence.
Therefore, my takeaway: meditation can be a useful tool in defeating unpleasant feelings. While I may not make a regular habit of doing it, I'd like to think that the next time I'm confronted with an emotional problem, it might serve me well to just sit and meditate on it.
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