From Eye Rolls to Oms: Meditation, a secular perspective.

The enormous number of spiritual gurus today may confuse our perception of meditation itself. As Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, a spiritual leader and founder of the Art of Living Foundation has said, “Meditation is not a way of making your mind quiet. It is a way of entering into the quiet that is already there – buried under the 50,000 thoughts the average person thinks every day.”

The common misconception about meditation is that it is supposed to make your head completely void of any thoughts and achieve utmost control over your mind. But meditation is not about suppressing thoughts or forcing the mind to be still. Instead, it is about becoming more aware of one’s thoughts and emotions, and developing a more mindful relationship with them.

What I’ve learnt of meditation is that, it is introspective and supposed to make you assess your thoughts clearly. Meditating isn’t always, “Breathe in, breathe out” or “Relax your neck, shoulders and hips”. Meditation isn’t as hard as it is spelled out to be, but a practice that we already engage in to some degree in our daily lives.

Here’s a video that is very useful-

Meditation brings contentment and self-acceptance. Your thoughts determine your feelings, actions, and achievements. Meditation is more than focusing on NOT thinking, but being aware of every thought you have.

Let’s see how I understand meditation. A teenage mind is cluttered and is constantly working; this may lead to being annoyed all the time or even being aggressive to some point.

An employee who is frustrated will not work effectively with an equally frustrated employer. Instead, the employee should establish a friendly relationship with their employer in order to achieve a productive working relationship and function smoothly.

This frustrated employee is the teen and the employer is his mind. The teen mind shouldn’t fight to keep itself in control all the time but instead, understand itself and be aware of all the thoughts and surroundings. By doing so, they can establish a relationship with their emotions and thoughts through meditation.

In meditation, the goal is not to eliminate thoughts, but to become more familiar with the patterns and habits of the mind. With practice, one can learn to observe thoughts and emotions without becoming attached to them or getting carried away by them.

To be honest, I was not keen on trying meditation at first. It just seemed like a dull and pointless activity to me. I mean, I would see my dad chanting “I am not the body, I am not the mind” and my mom listening to her guided meditations. It all felt strange and confusing to me. Like seriously, what does it even mean – “I am not the body, I am not the mind”? It left me scratching my head like, “Huh?”

It was after my board exams when I was dealing with some pretty intense anxiety, and I thought maybe giving meditation a shot could help me out. It was then, when I found Sir Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche and was instantly mesmerised by his the way he communicated his thoughts and cleared my misconceptions about meditation.

It’s important to note that there are various ways in which you can meditate. Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche says we can also meditate while walking!

I find Sir Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche’s techniques for meditation and mindfulness particularly appealing. What I love most about him is how he makes everything so easy to understand and follow. None of that complicated jargon that makes your head spin, just simple and straightforward techniques that actually work!

If you’re hoping to get your teenager into meditation, it’s important to give them space to explore and discover the practice on their own terms. Rather than pushing them to follow in your footsteps, encourage them to find their own guru or teacher who speaks to them in a way that resonates. One great resource that I highly recommend checking out is this TedTalk that really helped me get into meditation. It’s important to understand that meditation can be a highly personal and individual experience, so it’s important to support your teen in finding their own path and developing their own techniques that work best for them. Give them the freedom to experiment with different styles of meditation and to find what really clicks for them – who knows, they might just surprise you with their newfound passion for mindfulness!

If your teenager wants to understand the how exactly meditation works, here it is!

How does meditation change the body and mind?

Our mind and body are interconnected – like a rider on a horse. According to Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche, our body is composed of prana, nadi, and bindu. Prana is energy, nadi are channels, and bindu are like cells or drops. When we breathe, we take in prana, which helps our body function. The subtle body is like a storehouse for memories and experiences. Trauma or positive experiences can be stored in the subtle body. By meditating, we can build good habits and memories in the subtle body. Additionally, meditation can transform the gross and subtle bodies, leading to positive changes in our physical and mental health.

Scientific studies have shown that our brains can change through neuroplasticity, neuropathways, and neurogenesis. This means that we can consciously change our brain and mind through meditation. Instead of being controlled by external factors, meditation can give us the freedom to choose how we want to change. By working together, the horse (our body) can help change the rider (our mind) and vice versa. Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche has worked extensively with neuroscientists and acted as a test subject for related research, which has shown that meditation can be a powerful tool for transforming our mind and body.

How does meditation help improve mental health?

Meditation can help to ease anxiety, reduce stress levels, and even help with symptoms of depression. It’s like a workout for your brain, helping to strengthen those neural pathways and build up resilience in the face of life’s many challenges. Plus, meditation is a great way to cultivate mindfulness, which is like having a superpower when it comes to managing your thoughts and emotions. You’ll be able to step back and observe your mind without getting caught up in all the drama, which can really help you to find a sense of calm and balance in your day-to-day life. So if you’re feeling a little frazzled or overwhelmed, why not give meditation a try? Your mind (and your sanity) will thank you for it!