A commitment of 45 minutes can:

Change your life

by Lionel Wijesiri

It was my birthday, that morning, in February 2000, but I wasn't in a happy mood as I grabbed my briefcase and headed for a morning business meeting at office. Life has been good to me overall. Yet, something seemed to be missing - something that did not even have a name. I felt it only as a big void inside me.

In the office I joined 65-year-old Desmond, a successful marketing consultant with an unusual empathy for people. Over a pot of coffee and sandwiches, we discussed a project, and then, I mentioned my birthday and confessed to him my nagging sense of emptiness. I explained to him about a sinking feeling that my life was getting out of control. Although older, Desmond was a close friend and I respected him as a good mentor. I had no hesitation in discussing my personal life with him.

He said, "You are going about things backwards. You are trying to fit time into your life, fifteen minutes here, twenty minutes there. You need to fit your life around your conscience with a commitment.

Now, 45-minutes a day - that's the commitment! The idea is to take a chunk of time big enough to mean something to your conscience. Go for meditation. That's what I did for the last twenty-six years!" I thought Desmond was off the rocker. Then he grinned. "You know something: I haven't been sick in twenty five years," he added. Desmond left me after a while. But his advice stuck in my mind.

Now, 16 years later, Desmond is no more with us, but I am happy I took his advice. There have been plenty of crises in my life between then and now. Through every crisis, I have found a quietness of mind after each 45 minute chunk. It gave me time to put things in perspective.

Meditation

Meditation is a misunderstood term. It is not confined to Buddhism and Hinduism. In Christian churches too, the old methods of meditation have found new popularity. Religious retreats centering on meditation are also common and smaller groups often meet in homes.

One dictionary defines meditation as "continuous and profound contemplation or musing on a subject or series of subjects of a deep or difficult-to-understand nature."

"Meditation has been used in every part of the world and from the remotest periods," wrote Aldous Huxley, "as a method for acquiring knowledge about the essential nature of things."

He is right. Two years ago, a family I know sent their 15-year-old daughter to camp with expectations that she would return bearing medals for swimming. Instead, she came back with a new air of quiet and poise, and every night retired to her bedroom for half an hour to one hour after dinner. Once, when her mother looked in, she found her daughter sitting quietly, hands on her lap, watching the flame of a small candle.

Consistence

What on earth was she doing? "Just meditating," the girl said. It made her feel calmer, she explained, more at peace with herself and the world around her. "Lots of people are doing it," she said. That view is widely accepted. We are in an exploring age. In search of treasure and discovery, we go down to the floor of the sea, scale the highest mountains, even journey towards the stars. With the same intent, we are beginning to travel to the depths of our own consciousness.

Today's meditators dream of some great adventure in consciousness, and grope for a new vision that can reshape troubled lives. How do they do it? A few simple recommendations are almost universal.

First, if you want to meditate successfully, set aside a quiet time each day, usually about 45 minutes. This must be done consistently, because the results are cumulative and will not appear in a single session. The place you select for meditation also matters. Many people meditate best in an empty space with the need to be alone.

Attitude

The most important factor is attitude. The various techniques of meditation seek to produce a state of openness, inner calm and increased self-awareness. But, you cannot see into the depths of your mind when it is whirling about like a cyclone. Also, you needn't sit cross-legged on the floor; you might choose, instead, to sit quietly upright in a straight-backed chair. Now, focus attention on a single object during the whole session. The object may be your breath, a short prayer, a visualization, part of the body or an external object.

The external object can be a ticking clock, a burning candle, sea waves, or anything smooth and rhythmical. As you advance, your ability to keep the flow of attention in the chosen object gets stronger, and distractions become less common and short-lived. Both, the depth and steadiness of your attention are developed.

Reason for meditation

Why meditate? There are precious gifts of meditation, yet, people are initially drawn to meditation for many different reasons. Some begin meditating because of a doctor's recommendation, seeking health benefits of lowered blood pressure, stress reduction, and restful sleep. Others come to meditation seeking relief from the fearful, angry, or painful thoughts that constantly flood their minds. Still others, come to meditation to find greater self-understanding, to increase their intuitive powers, or improve their ability to concentrate.

It is correct to say that the purpose of meditation depends on the meditator, but it is also true that anyone who meditates regularly receives profound benefits on all of these levels - physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual.

New research shows that meditation restores the brain.

A landmark study conducted by the Massachusetts General Hospital (US) found that as little as eight weeks of meditation not only helped people feel calmer, but also produced changes in various areas of the brain, including growth in the areas associated with memory, empathy, sense of self, and stress regulation.