When I was a kid, I used to think that meditation was where someone’s main goal was to not laugh while sitting quietly in an attempt to channel inner energy to use in combat like someone out of Dragon Ball Z or Street Fighter. Didn’t everybody think that?
My friends probably did, but since they were Star Wars fans, they probably thought that meditation would allow one to unleash their inner Yoda. Or maybe the friends who were X-Men fans would think that it would allow someone to channel their inner Jean Grey. I haven’t spoken to those friends in quite some time, but I have a feeling they’d probably go with the Jedi approach to this.
That or they’d think of meditation as a gateway to talking to the dead. Come to think of it, that’s most likely what they’d think of it.
What do I think? I think of it as a nice tool for staying centered, focused, and much more. How much more? Well I feel like this may become a recurring series as my thoughts evolve, but for now I’ll keep it simple.
I’ve tried various forms of this before. From varying levels of trance-like states and detailed visualizations of being one with my surroundings, to breathing-focused methods and “no-thought” meditations, I’ve tried a lot. I enjoy all of ’em, but lately, a different one has been on my mind.
I’m not even sure how to describe it in its entirety, but it involves movement. Not only that, but the feelings behind it and the sensations from every nuance of any movement. In addition to that, I also think about the idea of not moving, how that feels, and lessening that element of stillness to just let movements happen.
It probably sounds weird, but I think of it as a way of being one with your body and a sort of energy that moves it. Call it chi, call it Chakra Energy, or you can even call it atoms if you’re more scientific, but it’s fun to think of something that moves everything. I envision it, feel it, and let it guide my movements as I lift my arms, turn my head, stretch, and move in any other way.
Basically, I like to feel all the sensations of moving during this. It’s something you don’t really think about as you move casually during your day to day life, but when I think about all the little feelings and details of it during these meditations, it makes me feel like I’m in this neat state that I can’t entirely describe. In short though, it makes me feel very present in the moment every time I finish the meditation session.
When I think about it, and based on some things I’ve read, it seems like Tai Chi is right up my alley since it’s connected to movement and meditation. Same with Yoga. I’m tempted to look into classes and then update on this, but right now I’m just exploring my own thoughts as I immersive myself into this approach.
I always thought it was weird that I was diving into these ideas of feeling an energy and letting my body move, but I recently found this page from Trans4mind that explains this and everything behind it. I’m glad I’m not the only one who does it, it’s a neat way of relaxing and being present. Definitely check it out, it has neat exercises and ideas.
Presence is another thing I like about this. All forms of meditation are tied to it in some way; but I find that the act of gazing in silence or while listening to binaural beats does wonders for expanding your awareness and being present with yourself and even your surroundings.
What I do here is just have my eyes open as I’m sitting, and just gaze. I don’t necessarily focus on something, but the act of gazing and being still while having my eyes slightly downward helps me enter a different kind of focus state. I’ll do it in silence most of the times, but you can definitely try this while listening to either binaural audio or light relaxing instrumental music.
With all these and many other forms of meditation out there, there’s a lot for people to choose from. I find it really fascinating that it can help someone relax and de-stress, but also tap into some kind of state where they can find inspiration for something. I know I’ve have many moments where I’d be doing this and suddenly an idea comes to mind that I have to write down. So I take care of that, and then just resume meditating.
When I think about all the times I’ve meditated, I think about how my goals with it have changed and grown. Originally, I wanted to get into it so I could expand my awareness and tap into something beyond my understanding. A few years later, I would meditate to de-stress, reassure myself that I could get through things, and to increase my lucidity during dreams. Now, and in recent years, I’ve been doing it for all those reasons but much more. Lately, I’ve been doing it to tap into my own visualizations and hopes as well as personal insight.
I listen to a lot of binaural beats when I meditate, but I also like to do this in silence. Other times, I’ll use certain kinds of instrumental music to tap into feelings I want to have, and I let that drive whatever I do. This gives me not only calmness, but also a feeling of self-assurance, determination, and hopes. It even helps me look at myself differently in ways I’ve always wanted to.
Where will this take me in the years to come? I’ve no clue, but that’s the fun of it.
I hope this has given you an idea of what meditation can do for you, and I encourage everyone to try it. This five minute meditation from Mindful.org is a good one to start with. After doing that one for a while, you can play around and try others.
Until next time, take care and always remember to get out of your head once in a while. You got this!
Kasey Lewis - Actor, Writer, Creator 