The subject of meditation came up when I was twenty-three years old, which was only yesterday. I listened to an intellectual discussion on what it was before I actually attempted to meditate. An intellectual approach opened my mind to the possibility of coming to know myself through meditation. I was not exactly sure as to how this would happen, but I was willing to try. What I read and heard about meditation was nothing but praise. I marveled at the eloquent, clear perception of Swami Vivekananda in his writing of Raja Yoga and Paramahansa Yogananda in the Autobiography of a Yogi.

My mind is not so advanced but I wanted to explore the idea nevertheless. Of course my first attempts at meditating were lame. I fell asleep more than I meditated, but when I applied myself with determined focus this caused the breakthrough.

Your mind is active

The mind is active and it will run on and on about every subject, unless you do something to change your train of thought. If you think you cannot change your thoughts, you need to think again. You can.

Concentration and attention is not something we like to do as it takes effort to learn to focus. Meditation initiates learning how to focus your mind to think about a particular subject.

If you do not practice meditation you will not come to experience. When you experience something this is when it is understood. We have to see and feel something in order to know it and to own it as it is our experience.

Our current technologically well-informed world gives us the idea that things are easily obtainable, all we have to do is follow a few simple steps. Meditation is not one of those things that is easy to do. It is also not visible and this causes doubt about its validity.

Meditation has shown me my real self

I know a deeper awareness. The world was a changed place; or was it that I now looked at the world with a different perspective. I think it is the latter, my perspective changed. My health and diet improved as I made many changes. As I pursued daily meditation and reflection, my experiences increased. I can only describe them as a real time paradigm.

Learning about yourself is an ongoing experience, there is no sudden “aha,” moment that will reveal all, resulting in you being all knowing. There will be times when realizations come to you in a flash of inspiration or understanding during the meditation experience. At this point, you are connecting with a part of yourself that is beyond you, universal principle.

The beauty about meditation – it is timeless.