Meditation—Om. The sound of the word can create images of monks sitting crossed legged chanting words you don’t understand. Or maybe people in flowing robes espousing words of universal love. Forget your preconceived ideas of what you may think meditation is and focus on the results of regular practice. Take a moment to imagine a day that starts out peaceful, clear, and well executed. Silence is a way to add to your spiritual bank account. Peace of mind, clarity, and focus are some of the results of regular meditation.
Meditation is the process of letting go of the thoughts in your mind so you can release and recharge. Meditation for me is the process of going inside to reconnect with myself. It allows me to let go. I have become more clear and focused and that allows me to make better choices. When meditation was first suggested to me, it didn’t make sense. Being still? Are you kidding? What could I learn from silence? I was a talker. Who would I talk to? I enjoyed thought provoking conversations. I didn’t get it at all. My connection with my inner spirit was probably there, but it was temporarily disconnected due to lack of funds. At thirty, I had not learned that the currency required for my spiritual bank account was in the form of being still. I was being proactive by seeking out information from sources like people, books, and classes. I was not interested at all in being still. Stillness didn’t seem like a way to learn anything.
In 1995, I started dabbling with meditation a few times a week. I didn’t want to commit to the practice. I was afraid to be still. I was afraid of what I might find out about myself. Quiet Barbara scared me. I started meditating very slowly and with hesitation. I was still not convinced I would really benefit from silence. It took several years before I decided to create a daily spiritual practice that included some form of meditation. I used a guided cassette daily in the morning and learned to be still. When I decided to embrace meditation as a natural process for growth and development, I began to understand the power of silence. I saw myself grow like a newly watered flower.
