The thoughts I share here are from and about my own personal experience with meditation.
When I began to meditate, I practiced simply to become calmer, to feel less high strung. Increasingly, over
the years, I have practiced for the purpose of drawing closer to God, and for discovering more about who I am
and what I came here to do. The simplest definition of meditation that I know is
that it is time set aside to be with God; to come to stillness and then to focus that stillness on God.
One very basic way to meditate is to sit quietly, moving as little as possible and focusing on something
inwardly--a prayer, a word, the breath--and then continually bringing the mind, as often as it wanders, back
to that inner focus.
The rewards of meditation can be very rich. The practice
of meditation leads to a deeper connection with the inner self. I've learned to watch my thoughts rise to
the surface of my mind, to be an observer of my mind's activity. After all these years, I can say that
there is still often quite a lot of racket in my mind as I meditate. But a deeper quietude has evolved,
beneath that racket, which supports my entire being. Now I can observe my thoughts. I can take a step
back and listen to the rhythm and tenor of those thoughts. And, I can often hear, beneath that rhythm,
the still small voice, the whisper of God. The ability to distinguish that voice has grown and the myriad of
background voices has receded more and more. Great calmness has come, over time, from this practice of
meditation.
With the ability to stand back a bit from the noise of the world, and from the many thoughts running through my mind, it is possible for me to hear and see the Divine everywhere in my life. Meditation creates the inner space to hear an 'ah ha' when it comes. Increasingly there has grown a sense in me of what that 'ah ha' feels and sounds like within my heart and, as that ability to listen within has been strengthened, I have been better able to perceive it even when the world and my mind and emotions are very noisy.
I will give you an example of this: several years ago, I was angry about something and took myself out for a walk. My thoughts were whirling around in my head. I was tense. So, I asked God, "How can I move out of this state of mind?" Immediately after I asked the question, someone ran by me wearing a t-shirt which had written on it, in large letters: B R E A T H EThere is no one right way to meditate. I think each person must explore and experiment with meditation to find out what is best for him or her. Even for an individual, the practice of meditation may change over time, changing in response to that person's needs and growth.
There are many many practices that lead to a state of quiet which allows focus on God. I think every religion offers ways to do this--from sitting in utter stillness, to dancing; from inward prayer to outward chanting; from meditation in solitude to meditation in groups; from meditating with eyes closed to meditating while watching the beauty of nature; from writing, to reading, to simply working in the kitchen...all of these can lead to inner stillness and a listening focus on God.
