My number one reason for having a daily meditation practice these days is connecting to the truth within. I believe that Higher Power, God, Universal Life Force Energy lives within all of us and that when we hear things like “we are all one” or “we are all connected”, this is what’s being referred to.
It’s obviously not our opinions and beliefs that connect us all because those things exist within the more superficial and transient aspects of our being and often cause us pain and suffering. So, it’s from this belief that we all have that divine light inside of us that leads me to also believe that we can learn how to tap into that connection to find answers within. What a relief, given all of the conflicting information that is out there these days.
This age of information is an absolute miracle, don’t get me wrong. I take full advantage of being able to access knowledge whenever I want to and I find it thrilling that we can learn about anything within a device that most of us carry around with us wherever we go. So much of it is free and at our fingertips and I think I appreciate this immensely because I remember doing research for school projects using encyclopedias and the microfiche system at the school library.
All of that being said, it’s really difficult to make a decision these days. With ALL of this knowledge comes ALL of the opinions and ALL of the different theories about how we should be living our lives. Here’s a small example: for optimal health, should you follow a Paleo or Vegan lifestyle? There are strong arguments for both diets and you have access to articles, research and documentaries supporting each way of life that are ALL compelling AND completely contradictory to one another.
The stakes over the last few years have gotten much higher, as we’ve had to make decisions regarding our health, who to vote for, who’s lying, who’s telling the truth? Who can we trust? AND, I literally cannot leave my house these days without someone telling me about a wild and terrifying conspiracy theory. The world is in state of deep fear and you need to live in a cave if you want to avoid hearing about all of the things that are wrong or could go wrong. Take a deep breath (talking to myself).
There ARE answers and there is a way to know what’s true for YOU. And that’s an important nuance because what’s true for you may not be true for someone else. Also, you will not find the truth on the news (most of the time). I’m about to date myself again by telling you that the news used to be more fact and less opinion-based. But here’s some good news: you are absolutely capable of finding the answers to what you your next step should be. The only thing required of you is that you commit to some regular periods of stillness to practice the skill of looking for answers within.
This is absolutely the number one reason I think practicing meditation is so important. It’s not just about checking a box on your list of spiritual self-care "to dos" anymore, it is so that you can navigate a world filled with so much chaos caused by an overload of conflicting information.
There are two reasons I think meditation is so good at putting us in touch with the truth. One is that we are surrounded by a fast-paced “hustle culture” where it’s a real challenge to sit still. My experience with my intuition or my connection with my higher power is that it speaks softly and I need to get really quiet and still to hear it. Meditation allows me this stillness so that ideas, inspiration and answers can find me.
The second reason that meditation helps us access the truth is that intuition is available only in the present moment. We can only deal with what is exactly in front of us right now, not in the past and not in the future. Too much rumination on the past can cause feelings of depression and too much future-tripping can cause feelings of anxiety. Both of those emotional states are not conducive to cultivating a clear perception of what’s actually going on. Meditation brings us into awareness of what’s happening in the very precious present moment, which allows us to respond appropriately to things that come our way.
This doesn’t necessarily mean that when you sit down for meditation an answer to a problem you are having will automatically appear. Sometimes it will, and I’d leave the door wide open for that possibility. But oftentimes the answer comes when the time is right and meditation is a practice of getting still and being receptive and surrendered enough to hear the answer when it does come.
Here are a couple of links to some meditations that would make great daily practices:
Here's a 3 minute "quick fix" meditation practice for when you need help getting clear to make a decision: Breath to make a decision.
I post new meditations regularly, so make sure to follow my YouTube channel if you are interested in seeing those and please feel free to reach out in the comments if you have any questions.
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