Meditation

All Words: 552

From the definitions, it seems that meditation is all about focus. To focus so completely on one thing that everything else ceases to be. The purpose of this focus can be to hone concentration skills, de-stress, or (as in Roald Dahl's character Henry Sugar) win at gambling. Sorry, I got a bit flippant there, but it is true. Henry Sugar practiced meditation with the sole purpose of beating the casinos. Somehow, I've always associated meditation with gurus and holy men. Like the Buddha, sitting under a tree and gaining enlightenment.

But need this be so? What I think is - let us widen the scope of the definition. Let anything which a person focuses on without distraction be termed meditation. So, if I'm writing this essay without worrying about the doorbell or telephone, I'm meditating. If the basketball player is completely focused on that hoop and shooting the ball through it, and not on whether his girlfriend is cheering in the stands, he is meditating. If the artist is focused on her canvas, she is meditating. With this interpretation of meditation, we can then allow anyone to enjoy meditating and reap the benefits. In fact, every act of work or play could be an act of meditation, if done with complete focus, passion and surrender.

What are the benefits of meditating? Concentration, certainly. De-stressing, yes. Also, since the entire being is focused, it brings about a mind-body-soul connection that enables one to be completely human. And this connection often leads to the pinnacle of joy and peace. Physically, good hormones flow, emotionally, disturbances are put on the back-burner to be handled when it a better frame of mind. Bodily functions, like blood circulation and digestion, improve.

Aha. I can see the multi-taskers raising an eyebrow. In this day and age, the employee who is valued is the one who can be on the computer, the smart phone and the intercom at the same time, handling three different clients, juggling the 'hold' button with ease. The same employee will, no doubt, juggle multiple medications, pills and potions with equal ease. Well, one hopes so, as those medications, pills and potions will be a necessity. In the process of this juggling, finer points might be lost, nuances going unheeded. You might then ask about the harassed home-maker. The one who is cooking breakfast, minding the pets, thinking about the laundry and planning the kids' carpool at exactly the same second. Well, one person wasn't meant to have all that stress. In the earlier days, generations lived under the same roof so that members could focus on particular tasks for the entire family. They might have taken it in turns, but on a day, each had one specific contribution at one time. Successful schools have found that having fewer classes lasting longer hours enable a deeper understanding of a subject. Meditating on Math might be the answer to bafflement!

This is my personal opinion. You might have exactly the opposite point of view - it might work for you, and I'll respect that. But I feel that meditation is about focus, and focus has its benefits. Great benefits. And anyone, of any age, can practice meditation if we are mindful of every action and focus on it while we are performing it. So - wanna meditate, right now?