Posted on

Is meditation the latest trend?


Warning: Invalid argument supplied for foreach() in /home/bemindf0/public_html/wp-content/plugins/mailchimp-subscribe-sm/admin/classes/admin.php on line 542

As I took a quick survey about why people don’t meditate, it got my mind wondering…are people viewing meditation simply as the latest trend; one more thing that we HAVE to do? If we don’t do it “correct” then we won’t get anything out of it?

Is meditation trendy?Then I ran across this article and wondered if rather than meditation being trendy, maybe it’s more that we are band-aiding the mindless society we have created? Are these trendy pop-up boutiques the answer or does it make more sense to teach the basics as well as the benefits of meditation…those that date back to ancient times.

So what does it mean to meditate?

We talked briefly about it over yonder but we can also get Wikipedia’s take:

Meditation is a practice where an individual operates or trains the mind or induces a mode of consciousness, either to realize some benefit or for the mind to simply acknowledge its content without becoming identified with that content, or as an end in itself.

What does that mean? Let’s get more simple:

It is simply:

  • being present in the moment
  • being present with your mind
  • being present with your thoughts
  • being present with your environment

All of the above without judgement. It is not something you do, it is something that you are. So think about this? If you taught yourself to be present in your daily actions, can you see the decrease in stress, anxiety, pain? It’s not about being present 100%, it’s about practicing being present so we are calm when it’s needed.

Am I against these businesses mentioned above? Absolutely not! I think it’s a great way to bring people together and give people the tools to develop their own practice. I also believe in the power of group meditation and the expansive energy it creates. I do, however, worry that it’s creating a co-dependent environment where people think that they have to go somewhere to DO meditation.

Use these facilities as a tool, just as you would a guided meditation on the internet, but continue to develop your own way of being through practice. Remember, meditation isn’t about physically doing something…it is about being in the moment.

 

Posted on

Mindfulness versus Meditation

This is definitely a question that is commonly asked and quite frankly interchanged often in our culture. I know I have been guilty of this as well!

Let’s break it down simply…because I’m all about simple!

Mindfulness

Being mindful is simply taking a moment to acknowledge and appreciate where you are in a particular moment. It’s about observing your breath, observing your surroundings, observing your body, and the hardest one – observing your thoughts, particularly without judgment. Mindfulness is the first initial step in working toward your own personal meditation practice.

Meditation

Meditation is the state of being, an intentional practice that focuses inwardly to one’s mind and spirit. The Buddhist Center refers to it as, “a means to transforming the mind.” People often confuse meditation with an actual act, something that you do; however, that is not correct. Over time, your meditation practice will develop effortlessly and you will find that the activities that you do throughout the day will now be done with more ease and awareness.

Both mindfulness and meditation allows us to get off auto-pilot living and create a more intentional, grounded life. Begin with simple mindfulness of a mundane act. Be fully present in the act discouraging all distractions. Then, take the next step into meditation and practice simply being in the moment.