I once wrote a blog about meditation. I posted it about 9 months ago and it was an attempt by me to explain meditation to people in a way they would understand and maybe even lead a couple people to try it themselves. At the point of writing that post I didn’t know enough about meditation to fully explain it to people, and I may still not know enough but, like Socrates said (Yea I’ma hit y’all with some Greek philosophy) “I know one thing: that I know nothing”.
As of March 7th I have been meditating for a year now, and I’ve now decided to give explaining the practice one more try. Except, this time I will use that which helped me understand the practice enough to give it a try; Russell Simmons’ interview on Power 105.1 in New York’s “The Breakfast Club”.
Meditation is more or less about calming the mind, which begins with quieting the world. Here is what Russell said when asked “How do you quiet the world?”
“You don’t quiet the world, it quiets itself. As the nervous system calms, so goes the mind. So if you sit there and repeat, I gave a mantra, a mass mantra. “rummm” If you repeat it, and focus on the vibrations. The thoughts will come and go; you’ll take inventory and watch your thoughts from a distance. Because thoughts make you sick. They make you really nervous, and uncomfortable and full of anxiety. But when you sit and those thoughts come, you can assess them differently, and make better choices. But then the mind settles beyond the thoughts.”
You can YouTube the entire interview or even go and read Russell Simmons’ guide to meditation Success Through Stillness. If either of those don't seem like your kind of thing, watch another meditator (might have made up that word), Jerry Seinfeld, speak on the practice.
At this point, I've meditated in 5 countries. No matter what happens in this life full of moving pieces, meditation has helped me stay grounded and focused. To put it simply, everyday, for 20 minutes, usually first thing in the morning, I shut everything off and sit by myself in silence for 20 minutes while repeating a mantra ("hummm" is the mantra I've stuck with). Thoughts come and go, like Russell said, but while meditating you can watch them from a distance and see whats really important.
I’m not really a religious person, and maybe meditation has filled that void in my life. I don’t have a long explanation on how you should practice meditation, instead I will offer help to anyone who “doesn't know how” to start.
I don't know if I would be where I am today without meditation, but would I do know is, without meditation, I wouldn't have this peace of mind.
Peace & Love
Baudelaire
P.S
The picture was taken while I was taking a walk through London's Regents Park.
