Why I Meditate

"It's always something," said my mechanic as I dropped off my car for an oil change. He was telling me how his wife has broken their washing machine and he was going to be spending the weekend fixing it instead of relaxing - as he was hoping to.

Most of us can agree with what he says - it really is "always something". A bill that is larger than expected. A test to study for. A parking ticket. A challenging project at work. We complete what is in front of us only to be confronted with new challenges the very next day.

There wasn't anything wrong with my car that day - what a relief. Starting the day worried about a big repair bill and finishing it finding out that everything is fine. The good and the bad news is that life can twist and turn on us. It can truly turn on a dime.

But life is good. Life has its joys, its delights. Good coffee. Sleeping in late. Old movies. A child's laughter. Good things don't have to be overplanned or expensive. Lots of good things are just spur of the moment. Moments of grace.

I meditate every evening for about twenty minutes. I'd love to say I did it in the morning, but I'm just not a morning person. But that twenty minutes in the evening is a way to let go of the day, a time to recharge the batteries, a time to open to inspiration that is always there. It is a place to take the challenges that have come up, and a place to celebrate the good. I have meditated when I've been in grief, when I've been under great stress, when I couldn't sleep. I've meditated when I've been so excited I couldn't sleep, or I couldn't stop smiling.

The first time I meditated I did so with a group. I couldn't stop my mind from wandering to everything I needed to get done the next day. I kept wondering what the other people in the group were thinking about. I wondered why people found this so relaxing. Finally I started to get bored. I sneezed and no one said "bless you". They were all meditating. It took me about four more sessions to finally relax into meditation. When I meditated with the group I finally relaxed and found my mind focused more on the present moment. I'm not going to say that I stopped thinking because that makes me sound like a coffeemaker you can turn on and off with the flick of a switch.

Meditation is easy, it is simple. It doesn't require lots of fancy props, a new wardrobe. All you have to do is sit comfortably with your spine straight and breathe naturally. Many people who meditate simply focus on their breath as it goes in and out. In and out. If you breathe you can meditate.

There are things that have changed in my life over the past five years while I've been meditating. I've gone back to school, done volunteer work, made new friends, changed my haircolor, got a new cat. Meditation stays the same. Every evening it is there waiting for me. All I have to do is sit down and be.