Why Meditation Is Important

A Hindu guru once said that when he was young, he could always get rid of his friends and find solitude by saying, “Let’s meditate.” That was in India. If the word “meditation” has that effect on people in India, It doesn’t get any better in the West. Probably, the majority of people don’t mediate, especially in the West. Given all the positive effects it can have for a person, one would expect a better reputation than that. I think the poor reputation comes from a general misunderstanding of the procedure. In the West, I find many people have a very distorted view of meditation. This misunderstanding is a great tragedy for the world. The traveler doesn’t have to go far from her front door to see the need for meditation for such problems as emotional control and regulation. There are other personal health problems for which stress relief meditation has much to offer, such as, hypertension, anxiety, depression, etc. The research on this procedure provides many reasons to provide this resource to people. But for people to receive a resource, those people have to have an openness to the resource. In the West, any natural openness to meditation is easily compromised.

How Meditation is Done

The lotus position, an inward gaze, thumbs and middle fingers touching in an “O” formation, controlled breathing, the Himalayas in the background, etc. These are the images we associate with meditation, those of us in the West, anyway. First, we don’t have daily access to the Himalayas here in the West. Few of us can assume the lotus position. Before trying meditation, we never sat with our thumbs and middle fingers touching, forming an “O”, and we have never seen anyone sit that way. There is no doubt the young woman in the photo is meditating. If you asked 1000 people in the West what she is doing, they would all say she is meditating. Probably, that is a big part of why we in the West tend to not meditate. When I first began to meditate, I certainly balked at the lotus position. But is that all that keeps us from meditating?

Our lifestyle certainly doesn’t enable meditation! Our daily activity schedules keep us running here and there from dawn to dusk. The mass media keeps our minds fruitlessly running without rest. Add to this our medications, our unhealthy diets, and our daily stress, you have a social environment where something like meditation seems out of place. Is it really out of place?

Relaxing Meditation

The simplest analysis of our lifestyle reveals that relaxation and stress relief are two characteristics dismally lacking in our lives. One would think that anything that would address these issues would be the best-seller! What I want to do in this article is match some meditation procedure with our lifestyle. Is our lifestyle hospitable to meditation or too hostile? Meditation was created in a different environment and, perhaps, can never grow in the 21st century world. We will begin by examining the types of meditation that have evolved, we will then look at their procedures and see if those procedures could possible fit our 21st century social environment.

There are many variations on the different types of meditation but research has classified them according to three general types. There is Focused Attention Meditation; there is Open Monitoring Meditation; and there is Effortless Presence Meditation. Meditation is a simple process and these types are each simple but distince. As a process, meditation is well-defined.

In Focused Attention Meditation, one maintains one’s attention on a single object the entire session.

For Open Monitoring Meditation, attention is directed to different aspects of an experience without judgment or attachment.

Effortless Presence Meditation does not involve attention focus but rests the attention in itself in a quiet, steady, and introverted manner.

Each of these types are simple what they say. Their general descriptions are given in a single sentence.

These three general types are represented procedurally through two meditation styles: Zen and Shikantaza. These two styles are equally simple and are defined in three simple steps each.

Doing Zen Meditation, one focuses attention on one’s breath. This is done in a setting position, but I don’t see that it has to be.

• Sit with back straight from pelvis to neck. In other words, sit with a good posture.
• Keep eyes slightly lowered.
• If the attention focus is lost, gently bring back the attention.

Shikantaza involves merely sitting.

• Do not focus on any particular object.
• Remain as much as possible in the present moment.
• Be aware of what’s in the mind and what passes through it.

When I was young growing up in the Ozark Mountains, I remember older people sitting on the front porch of houses slowly rocking in a rocking chair and chewing tobacco or snuff. They had a spit can sitting beside their chair. From time to time they would reach over, pick up the can and spit in it. Then settle back in their rocking. These people were not stressed. Now I know why; they were doing Shikantaza Meditation. At that time, no one saw it as meditation.

Effortless Presence Meditation is the simplest form of meditation. Some older people rocking on the front porches in the Ozark Mountains were likely doing Effortless Presence Meditation rather than Shikantaza.

• Does not have a particular position.
• Can be done sitting, standing, lying, or walking.
• Eliminates all mental engagement except for awareness.

These are the types and procedures used in all meditation. I want us to look in our daily lives to find moments that are amenable to some type of meditation. We will take a daily living situation, define its characteristics, and align them with those of some type of meditation. But first, let’s examine some concepts that are important in defining meditation. Without these concepts, you don’t have meditation. You just have an older person sitting in a rocking chair on the front porch dipping snuff

Important Concepts

We encounter the following concepts in our daily language use, but in meditation, they have slightly restricted meanings.

Grasping. In meditation, grasping is getting mentally involved in a thought or emotion. We take ownership of the thought, emotion, or image in some way. It has some significance for us. If an image of my dog drifts into my thoughts, I grasp the image when I recognize it as mine and that matters to me emotionally. Anytime we elicit emotions in our thoughts, ruminate on them, analyze them, engage in imaginary elaboration or creative elaboration, we are grasping these thoughts, ideas, or emotions. This is how we normally spend most of our day in the market place.

Focusing Attention. Attentional focus is a large part of meditation. Because attention focus is an important mental skill, the benefits of meditation are wide spread. You are focusing you attention when you restrict your thoughts or perceptions to one object or perceptual effect. You are focusing your attention when you observe just one thing, perceive one thing, or think about one image. Attentional focus mentally lays claim to one image or perception.

Maintaining Restriction of Attention. This is an important concept in meditation. The meditator must not only focus attention but also maintain that focus. The mind is constantly active. It is a pandemonium of thoughts, perceptions, and images. Meditation puts some order into that confusion by blocking images, thoughts, and perceptions that are not the focus of meditation.

Relaxing Body. Like the mind, the body is also quite active. The meditator must be aware of her physical state for maintaining a state of relaxation. When the mind strays from its focus, the meditator gently brings it back to the focal object. When physical tensions begin to form during meditation, deep, rhythmic, breaths are used to release that tension. Just take a deep breath, hold it a few seconds, and feel the entire body relax. The Buddha discovered the importance of breathing for managing the mind.

Non-Competitive. This term refers to the lack of competition with oneself. Especially in the West, we are oriented to achievement. Meditation is not an achievement. It is a returning to a natural state, both mentally and physically. One should not approach meditation from the perspective of goal setting, achievement, or competition with yourself or others. We really want to even get rid of the word, progress, in meditation. A better view of meditation is something that we let happen.

Acceptance. Acceptance arises from the non-competitive. In meditation, acceptance is of the self and of the world.

Present. The mental present is the temporal place meditation occurs. If the mind drifts into the past or the future, the meditator gently brings it back to the present. All day long our minds run through time. Time has many representations. It is not an abstract laden thing. Our minds mentally traverse time through our memories, plans for the future, or the pain of past traumas. When one begins to examine time, one quickly sees there is only one real dimension, the present. The past and the future are abstractions. Meditation takes advantage of this fact.

Gently Bring Back. When the meditator’s mind wanders from its focal point, it must be brought back into the mental focus. The meditation literature talks of “gently bringing the mind back”. It’s done gently because there is no competition, no self blame, or sense of having done wrong. Remember, meditation is a mental state that you allow happening. If your mind is adamant about leaving its focal point, then actions can be performed to facilitate its return. One can imagine an image associated with the focal point. For example, if the focal point is a mountain, one can image camping on a mountain to gently bring the mind back to the mountain. Sometimes just saying a word associated with the focal image will stop the mind’s wandering. A more multi-sensory strategy is to perform part of an action related to the focal image. For example, suppose I am focusing on the ocean. Let’s assume I have experience in sailing. I might do a rocking motion similar to that produced by the waves when sailing on the ocean. This motion could powerfully redirect my thoughts.

Mindfulness. Because meditation works with attention focus and mental control, mindfulness is an important result of its practice. Mindfulness has three important characteristics. First, one’s thoughts have a centered focus. Secondly, one’s thoughts are unified. Thirdly, there is lack of competition for one’s thoughts in the mind. From the practice of meditation, one’s thoughts become increasingly calm and unified. These characteristics are a major aspect of mental health.

Your Zen Regions

If you are an average person having been raised in the West, being told you have Zen Regions may produce some anxiety. It’s a new way of thinking about your life and change provokes anxiety. But release this anxiety!! Don’t grasp onto it. Your Zen Regions are nothing mysterious, although one could easily create a mystery of them. Your Zen Regions are those moments, or series of moments, in your daily life when you actually engage in mental states quite similar to meditation. Yes, you do meditate every day. Like the older people in the Ozark Mountains rocking on their front porches. Before we go looking, let’s define what we are seeking.

I’ve defined three characteristics that their presence in a situation indicates a Zen Region. What defines a Zen Region is not any physical or temporal characteristics but mental characteristics. We will be looking for the effects of a situation on our minds.

• The first characteristic is that observation is the main action being performed. Not the only action, but the main action. In fact, observation may not be the purpose of the situation.
• The second characteristic is that the situation has greatly reduced social interaction.
• The third characteristic is greatly reduced technological interaction.

The reduction of social and technological interactions are important for the inward orientation of the meditative mind. Zen Regions in one person’s life may be different in another’s. Expect considerable individualization. You probably can’t just copy your friend’s Zen Regions. I have identified ten Zen Regions that I believe many people can find in their daily lives.

1. Driving Alone. Many people do this activity almost every day. Observation is the main action occurring when one is driving. If driving alone and with the radio and cell phone turned off, social interaction is greatly reduced. Having the radio and cell phone turned off, technological interaction is also reduced. This is the perfect situation for sustained focused attention that is mindful. These are the basic mental functions of all meditation. Many people grab a latte from Starbucks, turn on music on their cellphone and talk to friends on their cellphone. I suspect this is done as a strategy to avoid the constant barrage of uncontrolled thoughts and image in their minds. Meditation is a much better way to achieve this.
2. Standing in Line. This is a ubiquitous experience for shoppers. Shopping on line has reduced this experience for many, but people enjoy the traditional shopping experience itself. It has become a leisure activity for many. Shall we call the basic characteristics of meditation described above as the Big Three? Then, standing in line has all of them. When standing in line, observation is really the only action available. That is because that people in a line are actually socially isolated. Of course there is that occasional hyper-social person who initiates a conversation with anyone. He has never doubted but that the world is anxious to hear his story. But such people are not that common. Most people silently stand in line. This situation can easily become an opportunity for meditation by simply refraining from texting or listening to music on your cellphone. However, it has become common for people to avoid themselves while standing in line by talking on their cellphone, texting, or listening to music with their air pods. Forgoing a technology fix can turn this situation into a moment of meaningful meditation.
3. Resting. Unless you are one of those people who have planned an unhealthy amount of work for themselves, you will spend some time each day, simply resting. You will find time to simply sit. You may do small talk with a friend, text someone, or watch passively watch events in the immediate context. The social interaction occurring in this situation is not compelled. If I see a person just sitting, I refrain from interaction. Doing so is socially acceptable. Also, a place with less social traffic is generally available. Thus, eliminating the technology turns this situation into a Zen Moment.
4. Grocery Shopping Alone. Grocery shopping is just one of many solitary shopping situations we experience on a weekly basis. Shopping of any kind can be a social situation, but if you observe people at a grocery store who are shopping alone, they are focused on the products they are buying. Try to start a conversation with such a person, and you will quickly get the impression that your interactions are not wanted. I’m never desirous of spotting a friend while I’m grocery shopping. It’s a solitary adventure. These days we do see people in the grocery store attached to their cellphones and their air pods, but these are auxiliary to grocery shopping. This situation provides sustained, focused attention, reduced social interaction, and by turning off the technology, reduced technological interaction. Another perfect Zen Moment.
5. Walking from Point A to Point B. I label this situation abstractly to emphasize its ubiquitous nature. I[m referring to just about any walking that you do during the day. When walking at any time during your day, you can do it mindfully or not. When I walk across the room at work, I can focus on the act of walking and not talk to everyone I pass, or I can engage in social conversation with everyone around the room. Meditation is sustained mental focus on one object or action. That’s not more than that. Like breathing, the act of walking affords sustained mental focus. Social interaction is generally optional (no one will even notice if you don’t talk to them while walking across the room) and technological interaction can be terminated for the short time you are walking. The limitations of these situations is that they are short-lived. But that limitation is diminished by the fact that they occur many times a day. Your daily life is truly filled with hundreds of little Zen Moments.
6. Drinking a Beer at a Bar. One might be surprised to find potential Zen Moments at such a hyper-social environment as a bar. If I had never gone to a bar, I too would be surprised. However, my observations have revealed that a majority of the social interactions at bars are easily turned on and off. When I talk about situations at a bar, I’m referring only to the actual sitting at the bar. Just walking around a bar can be very social. But if you sit at a bar and don’t initiate conversation, the people sitting on either side of you generally leave you alone. This is especially true if you go to a bar where people don’t know you. While there may be music going in some corner of the room, it is generally ignored easily. Thus, you have the Big Three. You can focus your attention on your beer, block out the technological input around you and ignore the social interactions. I have found bars perfect places for sustained meditation.
7. Cooking. Preparation of food elicits ancient responses in our minds. There should be a form of meditation just for cooking. Cooking is on a par with breathing in the way it connects with us both physically and mentally. But unlike breathing, it requires sustained, focused attention. Just watch people cook. They are focused. They are not talking to others and generally not engaged with technology. Even if technology is used, the situation does not lend itself to cellphones and air pods. The demands of the task tend to discourage technological interaction. Cooking is the perfect Zen Moment.
8. Walking the Dog. When I see people walking their dog, they are typically alone, focused on the dog, and not engaged with cellphones or air pods. Animals are excellent sources of Zen Moments. Just petting a dog or cat puts one physically and mentally in a meditative state. I think animals spend most of their lives in a state of meditation.
9. Bathing/Showering. This daily activity has all the features of a Zen Moment. Focused or diffused attention, no social interaction and no technological interaction. Additionally, the constant stimulation of warm water relaxes the body and reduces anxiety.
10. Eating Breakfast. My observations are that people are less social at breakfast than any other meal. That is not always the case, however. I remember lunch break at work was a time when people would be involved with their cellphones, air pods, or just silently eating their meal. Efforts at conversation were often not reciprocated. Eating food is, like breathing, a very physical experience and has a way of focusing one’s attention. Thus, eating at most anytime adds Zen Moments to your day.

Conclusion

The moral of this blog is that though meditation is not a traditional part of our culture, it naturally occurs in our daily lives. In the shower, we actually lapse into a meditative state of mind. Standing in line at the pharmacy, we, again, lapse into a meditative state of mind. Perhaps for just a few moments, but these few moments happen many times throughout our day. With some minor alterations, these moments have great potential for developing our mental control, and consequentially, a greater peace of mind.