The benefits of meditation: the love lasts past the opening of the eyes, and the connections in the world seem more clear.
Meditation has become an essential part of my days, and with that new focus came an enhancement of the richness of my life. Every day I feel the calmness within me getting stronger, and the fear receding. I used to be tense, and there was anxiety in me even when I wasn’t aware of it, waiting to explode when things didn’t go right. I spoke to people often with a subconscious intention of steering the conversation to be negative. I also didn’t see the world around me clearly, and therefore could not think clearly. But I don’t do these things anymore because I have finally discovered the benefits of meditation.
It’s incredible how the mind has the power to completely change life’s perspective and experience, and all it takes is some intentional focus on reality for a small part of each day.
I wanted to share five benefits of meditation and new experiences that I’ve noticed since I started meditating daily, and hope that it encourages others to meditate.
“Touch your inner space, which is nothingness, as silent and empty as the sky; it is your inner sky. Once you settle down in your inner sky, you have come home, and a great maturity arises in your actions, in your behavior. Then whatever you do has grace in it. Then whatever you do is a poetry in itself. You live poetry; your walking becomes dancing, your silence becomes music.”
– Osho
#1 I enjoy interactions to the fullest now
Yesterday I was in my building parking garage, and a man was walking past with a broom as I was driving out. Police cars were coming in. In my old way of dealing with this situation, I would have been too afraid to open the window and too focused on myself to interact with him to find out what was going on in his world. But this has changed. Instead, I rolled down my window and he told me about some cars that had just been broken into. I could feel his feelings and I let him know that I was so sorry for him. We exchanged holiday greetings, filling each other with warm energy for a moment. These moments linger throughout the day, and can aggregate to create a really high feeling.
The richness of that experience and so many others like it have given my life more meaning and happiness. Instead of passing strangers by, I crave their stories and the opportunity to exchange good energy with them. Since meditating, I feel a true sense of community among my fellow humans, and that is one of the first benefits of meditation I experienced.
#2 I stay calm when there are negative and excited emotions around me
It used to be hard not to absorb and mirror any negativity or emotional reactions in my vicinity. If someone was hurting my ego, which I was so dearly attached to, I would respond with anger and defense. If my child was having a raging tantrum, I would let the stress get to me immediately. It got ugly at times. It put me in a dark place at times.
Since meditating, I can be around someone losing their minds in anger, and have no reaction. I just stay in the moment and carefully observe their actions and words, knowing at a deeper level where it’s coming from. It is so clear now. I empathize, but I don’t take anything personally. It is freeing.
#3 I’m not afraid anymore — of anything
My days now don’t consist of success or failure. I used to be low-level afraid of going to bed without having accomplished anything great. Or of using my time in any way that wasn’t beneficial to me. But now I’ve realized that there is no such thing as failure. As long as I live in the moment and I am giving and receiving love, there is no wasted moment.
Beyond this, larger fears are no longer a bother to me. Unemployment? I know things will work out. Sickness? I know it is part of life. Death? This is a natural ending, and the more I meditate, the less scary it seems. So many truths have surfaced that I’d suppressed from childhood, and one of them is that the spirit endures. When meditating, I see that my ‘self’ is just a character I am playing in order to manifest in this life. Everything is going to be okay. And when I live with an open heart, it will really be okay.
#4 I’m nicer and less self-oriented
Lately, I truly give my energy to others and listen deeply. I used to approach other people with an element of distrust; I assumed they were acting selfishly, just as I was. I assumed they were not acting primarily in my interest, so they might betray me. But now, I come to others with an open heart. I see that we are all human, on the same path.
Meditation has made me recognize that our potential as humans is equal, and we are all essentially the same, as I described more in this post about the ego. A kind act toward another person is the same as a kind act toward the self. This feels like a default perspective for me now. Kindness toward others has so many beautiful outcomes for the world, and I can really feel the happiness created with each ‘nice’ act.
#5 I don’t see evil anymore, just the workings of the universe
When I enter meditation, I am in such a place of balance that it becomes immediately clear that there’s no good or evil. All I see is the rise and fall of events, and things going in cycles. It’s wonderful.
In my daily life, I can still feel this as I interact with people. If someone’s actions are there to hurt me, I can see that there is a deeper reason for their actions and that they are pure souls. They are here to live and learn just as I am. Love is in them, just as it is in me. Even the evilest personalities on this Earth don’t seem that way anymore to me. They are all doing what they do for a reason. You might describe this as the ultimate form of forgiveness.
The benefits of meditation are clear
These five benefits of meditation led to a drastic decrease in toxicity within me, and the toxicity I was attracting. But they are just five things. There is a lot more that meditation can do for you. There are ways to live in complete balance, and there are also ways to explore consciousness deeply. I hope to show others how just a little bit of meditation can drastically change your viewpoint and love for life.
“Meditation is like a gym in which you develop the powerful mental muscles of calm and insight.”
– Ajahn Brahm
