If you know your own mind. No, really know your own mind you might be in the minority, but increasing number of people in the west who regularly practice mindfulness and meditation. If you feel as though you are not achieving your goals, feel unfulfilled or feel that your thoughts are confused then meditation is probably a good starting point for you.
In his article Meditation: the key to your mind, author Sam Davidson, explains how inner conflicts are often caused by erroneous or inaccurate ideas we have about the world, or about other people or even ourselves. These belief systems need to be challenged. Providing well known examples, Sam goes onto say, 'Inspiring people are the ones who challenge fake belief systems" and have self-belief based 'right' thinking.
We sit and all questions resolve themselves, sometimes
Into this experience of unanswerable being
Sam Davidson quote from Original Word
Sit and observe
There is nothing new about mindfulness or meditation. The practice has been common to humanity and exists in some form across every culture. However, distractions caused by the pace of modern living and technology means that there is a serious risk that we forget about the art to simply sit and observe. Really observe.
Inspiring people are the ones who challenge fake belief systems.
Meditation, mindfulness and new found land
The major benefit of meditation is that it increases awareness and consciousness, which is the fundamental feature of being human - and what makes us different. It shows us what our options are. Sam says, "Another word for this is mindfulness. Mindfulness has become popular in recent decades. It just means being as aware as you possibly can, like a sailor on the sea watching for rocks or for new found land."
As we know, if a footballer is more aware and focussed, he is more likely to score a goal.
Where Spirituality and psychotherapy meet?
It is fascinating to see the rise of eastern philosophies in the west as people seemingly seek ways to 'fill a void' created by the dissonance of modern existence. In his blog for Original Word, Sam says, "The answers that psychotherapy promises to bring were capable of replacing those provided by Christianity. However, the failure of psychotherapy to take the central position in our society has led the void to be filled by systems that are not, properly speaking, psychological but spiritual."
