#93

Meditation is such a transcendent thing. The ability to think of the present is an underrated ability. And no, I am not talking about present work or events, but rather, this very second as it is: The fall and rise of your chest as you breathe, the color of the walls, the itch on your leg, the dampness of your lips. It is ironic how freezing your life into a still shot actually frees your mind more. If you are interested, I have been meditating since 2020 and managed to pick up a few things for beginners:

First, meditation is not the ability to think of nothing, but rather, it is about hooking yourself to the present by focusing loosely at an anchor - something tangible that you can sense like a flickering flame, your breathing, sounds, the sensation and pressure of things (even air!) on your skin, even the very space you are occupying - accepting other thoughts as what they are and always trying to come back to the present moment through the anchor. This is called "equanimity". Try to imagine yourself across Manila Bay, with the sun setting, focusing on the calm sea, but not actively trying to shut out the sound of the cars behind you, the cacophony of people around, and the cries of birds above. You accept the moment as what it is, the now, and as thoughts of an upcoming exam comes up, or the fight you had with your mother the night before, you hold on to these thoughts like water, and just like water, you let it flow through your fingers and you go back to your seat by the bay, just looking at the sea.

Second, forgiveness is a big factor in meditation. It takes years of practice to hold on to an anchor for some time without thinking of other thoughts - I myself with more than four years of experience can only manage a few minutes. Therefore, while meditating, when other thoughts do come to intrude your anchor, do not get angry, but rather, forgive yourself, accept these intruding thoughts with a glance, let go, and return back to your anchor. I'll explain more on this below.

Third, start small. In the beginning, five minutes of guided meditation is already plenty. The important thing is try to squeeze it in everyday. There are a lot of apps out there to help you - the best I found were Calm (paid) and Medito (free). Both Calm and Medito have courses that you can try as a beginner and even as a veteran. Personally, I completed Jeff Warren's 30-day course called "Meditation for Beginners" on Calm, though I did eventually move to Medito for daily timed meditations since well, it's free.

Fourth, don't try to dive into the spiritual side of things for now. If that's your thing, great. For some people, meditation is more than a secular, sporadic exercise but rather a deeply religious act to connect with the universe. It's like that quote, "You are the universe thinking of itself." Meditation is a deep hole, but you can enjoy the benefits even without being a Buddhist or some other new age shalabambam disciple. Again, if you are cool with it, go ahead, but I advice that you take a step back in the beginning and just practice meditation as what it is - a way leading to a life of quiet.

Meditation is a beautiful activity that transcends beyond the minutes you are practicing it. After some time, you will take the lessons you learned to your life and experience a sense of calm even when barraged by chaos and uncertainty. I argue that meditation is not about blunting your emotions but actually the opposite - taking full advantage of what you are experiencing but knowing full well that feelings and emotions are fleeting - like water, remember?

For myself, forgiving myself is such an important motif of meditation. There is a certain peace knowing that is one person out there who supports and loves me: Myself. That you are your own friend is a simple but very powerful realization. Some people just hate themselves and I think that's unfortunate. As the adage goes, how can you bring genuine happiness to the world if you cannot even give happiness to yourself?

Try meditating now. It will change your life.