Why I embrace meditation everyday
There are tears rolling down my cheeks as I write this article. Well, really, as I write it for the second time. I am angry. Frustrated. Upset. I was just about to send it off to my editor and accidentally hit “don’t save.” Two hours of my life and hard work, just gone into the ether. Disappeared completely. Erased in one small click.
I screamed. I shouted at my screen. I contemplated throwing my computer out the window. I started banging senselessly on the keyboard. Searching the internet for recovery procedures in vain. Nothing. It’s gone.
The irony? I wrote all about the joys of meditation and how it helps me accept things out of my control. Well, I don’t want to accept. I want to put my computer away and enjoy this beautiful sunny day in Melbourne with my girlfriends. It’s our first girl’s trip in 10 years and here I am, having to redo everything.
Sigh.
I can groan. I can sob all I want, but it won’t change anything. I have to take a breath and think of my son, Max, who at seven has everything down right.
Last week during an argument with his brother, he spontaneously took a deep breath and said these words to himself: “Take a deep breath. Realize that some things are out of your control. Accept the plan. Or take steps to change the plan.”
This is Max’s Flexible Thinking Plan, something he learned at school and readily applies when needed. What is so beautiful about children is how they don’t feel the need to fight for control and how easily they forgive themselves and others and move on.
So right now. I shall be like Max and be flexible. And here’s another go at writing this article.
Meditation lowers blood pressure, improves your memory, strengthens your immune system, while managing stress and expanding your patience.
Much of our lives can be summed up by this moment. When things don’t go our way or as expected or when life just comes to slap you in the face, anger, frustration, worry, and anxiety just bubble to the surface. As adults, we are hard-wired to be masters of the universe, when in reality, we are just masters of ourselves. As holocaust survivor and esteemed psychiatrist Viktor Frankl put it: "Everything can be taken from a man but one thing—the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way."
In the end, it’s about surrender and release, but how do we get to that state?
Meditation has helped me relinquish control when I have to and truly empower myself to act when possible. Although around for thousands of years as a spiritual practice to understand the workings of the universe and how we relate to it, it is now widely accepted by the medical and mainstream community as part of a holistic approach to a healthier, fuller, and more meaningful life.
Not only can it lower blood pressure, improve your memory and concentration, strengthen your immune system, boost serotonin, and regulate DNA, it can also manage stress, increase creativity, expand your patience, and even improve your sleep.
You see, in all my readings and research, the root cause of a lot of the ailments listed above is worry and anxiety. I don’t need to dive deep into the scientific and medical details of the physical impact they have on our bodies—but let’s just say worry and anxiety cause stress, elevated cortisol levels, and inflammation that create the perfect breeding ground for all kinds of illnesses, from hyperacidity to cancer. On an emotional level, we become incapable of joy because we are constantly concerned about the what-ifs.
When we embrace all of this, it leaves room for joy. For being present in the moment. For loving big and hard and expansively.
The antidote for anxiety is threefold: acceptance, trust, and release. Accepting fully the situation. Letting go of what you can’t control. And trust. Trust in the universe, trust in the people you love, and, most importantly, trust in yourself.
For many, the idea of meditation is daunting. It conjures images of pious Buddhist monks, fervent yogis, or ultra-enlightened individuals. In fact, when I began my journey, for a long time I could only properly meditate under certain parameters like while being on a retreat, after a long yoga practice, or being in nature. The thing is, although these practices were intense, they weren’t sustainable nor integrated into my everyday life. It was like taking pain medicine that only worked once rather than eliminating the cause of the headache.
I was desperate to find a more sustainable solution to my anxiety. I wanted to be a better person for everyone around me and not always be on the verge of a nervous breakdown. I was often frustrated by what most Western wellness resources would say: “Go for a walk in the woods. Forest bathe. Ground in nature.” I’d find myself staring out the window in a bustling metropolis, engulfed in an urban jungle, rolling my eyes at this advice.
I decided to embrace meditation every day. To stop overthinking the practice. It didn’t always have to be esoteric, it had to be practical. And this was life-changing.
I downloaded an app and committed to just 10 minutes a day. I’d put on my headphones and listen in the morning while lying in bed or in the middle of EDSA in rush hour traffic. I put the app next to IG and instead of doomscrolling Instagram before sleeping, I’d meditate.
The most immediate effect was that I became a much nicer person. A small but powerful change. I was kinder to people around me and had more patience and calm to tackle the day. I no longer snapped back at my peers, listened more intently, was less reactive, and genuinely happy to be of service to everyone.
Longer-term effects included building that precious trust in myself and in the universe. That I will always get things done, so why worry? And to have divine faith that things will work out as they should. That whatever challenges we are faced with, we already have the tools and skills to deal with them. God doesn’t give us challenges we can’t handle.
And even in a much broader and metaphysical context, when difficult global events occur that make our hearts ache for humanity, taking time to sit and send love and prayers to the world can make us feel a little less helpless and shift the universal vibrational energy. It’s this notion that perhaps, if we can start by being better humans ourselves, there’s hope for peace for future generations.
When we embrace all of this, it leaves room for joy. For being present in the moment. For loving big and hard and expansively. With this, I’d like to share the five Reiki principles called the Gokai. These are beautiful affirmations to say out loud every day.
Just for today, I will not be angry. I am at peace.
Just for today, I will not worry. I trust.
Just for today, I will do my work honestly. I work joyfully.
Just for today, I will show appreciation for everything. I am grateful.
Just for today, I will be kinder and more compassionate. I am love.
With this, I would like to invite you to listen to my latest Soulful Feasts episode where I share more about my meditation journey and lead you on a simple five-minute guided meditation that you can do anywhere, any time.