Republished from MEDITATIONSHIFT.com.
I am often asked to explain meditation as simply and succinctly as possible. My response is as follows:
A common misconception is that the goal of meditation is to stop thinking – to make your mind “blank” and suppress all thoughts.
Nothing is further from the truth. The goal of meditation is not to stop thinking - rather, it is to start observing. You may not realize it, but every word you speak, every action you take, and every emotion you feel starts with a thought in your mind. If you don't learn to observe and cultivate awareness for what is happening in your mind, it will drag you along as it runs rampant with incessant thoughts and chatter. For most of us, the majority of those thoughts and that chatter will be negative and self-destructive - it's our nature, our conditioning, our environment. It is the reason that self-help books are written and why we listen to motivational speakers.
However, if you DO learn to observe and cultivate awareness, the results are nothing short of life-changing. Since everything you say, everything you do, and everything you feel starts with a thought in your mind, imagine what every aspect of your life will be like - your relationships, your personal life, your professional life - if you are able to decide what you want to follow as opposed to being blindly led around, essentially living your life on "auto-pilot." Imagine what you can accomplish, and the level of happiness and fulfillment you can achieve.
self-study meditation
