We’ve all heard about the new research, showing meditation is not only be used to help create coping skills for feelings, but it can also physically change the brain. We’ve all had that thought of wanting to start meditation, thinking, “how hard can it be”? After about 2 minutes of sitting on the floor, uncomfortable, we ultimately give up and left with the feelings of confusion and hopelessness.

Meditation is exactly what you believe it to be; it can be easy or it can be hard, depending on however you decide to structure your thoughts around your meditation will decide your experience. Our perception of meditation can fog the benefits and true healing qualities of the practice itself.

The benefits of meditation are astronomical when given the correct guidance and tools to create a practice that fits who you are and your lifestyle. Finding a guiding light and voice to lead you into this life changing practice is what every new person to meditation needs and when you find that you have found your daily practice.

Meditation is not sitting in lotus pose, chanting OM under the divine tree, although it can be that for you, it is not realistically for most. Meditation is, simply, shifting our awareness from interpersonal to cosmic awareness, from our internal story to a worldview. We recognize that our thoughts will not end. However, changing from reacting to our thoughts to responding to our thoughts is meditation. If you choose to take your meditation while sitting down- find all those thoughts within you. Seems contradicting, right? Find those thoughts; the negative, the positive the endless chatter. In meditation, you do nothing to these thoughts. Do not react to your thoughts, encourage or “egg” them on, you simply watch them, like a cloud floating by. Let them be.

Meditation is simply who you are, in your most real, most raw and most connected state. Humans deserve this feeling. We deserve it when it is much needed; it is our right, to be happy, to be healthy, and to be free over the captivity of our own minds. Guidance to reach and remember that every soul deserves the benefits of any type of meditation that suits him or her is the ultimate starting line. Meditation may take time and experience; trusting and understanding that this feeling may come directly to you in a sit or may take a couple times is the lesson we must learn. Like every person is different, every meditation is as well.