Your Message to Start Meditating
No time like the present
If you are like most people, you’ve tried meditation before. You’re also probably sick of hearing the laundry list of health benefits associated with the ancient practice.
Lower stress
Clearer thoughts
Increased creativity, imagination and productivity
But for whatever reason, you haven’t been able to make it a regular practice.
Maybe it’s
your school or work obligations,
your kids
you care for an older family member
But let me ask you this,
did you have time for social media this week?
Have you kept up with the war in Ukraine, hundreds, if not thousands of miles away from your safe home?
It's fine if you did, I did too, but the point is: we have time for whatever we deem essential and if you want a fantastic life, meditation is essential.
But don’t listen to me
I am just a 22-year-old kid.
Take it from Ray Dalio, founder of Bridgewater Associates (the largest hedge fund in the world) and NYT best-selling author of Principles.
“Meditation is 'the single most important reason' for my success.” - Ray Dalio
Or Tim Ferriss, who says most successful people he knows mediate.
BTW, this is Tim’s Twitter bio:
Meditation is Easy
Fine, meditation can be intimidating.
But it’s only because we have a warped conception of what meditation means.
We are told meditation means not thinking and if you can’t shut off your brain you can’t meditate. That couldn’t be further from the truth.
After 250+ hours of meditating, I can assure you: Thoughts are a part of meditation
Start today
The first time I felt comfortable meditating was with a guided meditation in my freshman dorm room.
I haven’t been able to find that playlist for years, but the Waking Up app is another tremendous resource that Derek mentioned in our last podcast:
Alternatively, I was trained in the transcendental meditation (TM) practice:
But TM is expensive, and you have everything you need to start meditating on your own.
A Challenge for you
When you finish reading this post, try counting three breaths. Your mind will wander, and that is normal. Gently return your focus to your breath. Rinse and repeat.
Ojectively observing that process will slowly reveal the subconscious patterns of your mind. With time, you can start to change those patterns for your benefit. That is a tremendous power.
Or just go for a walk without headphones in and focus on the rhythm of your sneakers hitting the pavement. Meditation is that simple.
Bonus Podcast
Here is that podcast where Derek and I explore mediation:
I recommend 1.5x - 2x speed if you are an English native speaker.
Bonus Blog Post
Here I reflect on my first year of meditation: