What does meditation really mean? And how can we move from practicing sitting meditation in silence for 10 minutes every morning to start living life from a space of meditation? First of all we need to understand more profoundly what meditation really means. 

MEDITATION MEANS NON-DOING, NON-FIXING 

It is a very common idea that meditation equals silence and stillness. In one sense yes and in another not. Meditation means witnessing, it means being with what is, it means not doing anything. What needs to be understood here is that not doing anything does not mean no action. It simply means that the action comes from a space of emptiness. It arises in you without you really doing anything. The opposite would be you trying to make something happen, for example trying to be relaxed. All trying is really an effort and a reaction to what is in the present moment. It is acting from this sense of inner push or reacting as an unconscious and habitual action – I like to refer to this as an activity rather than action.

So we have ”doing” and ”non-doing”, ”action” and ”activity”. Action springs from non-doing and activity from doing. 

Meditation means to be with what is. No matter what that is. So it is to take your hands off your experience without spacing out or not sensing it. It means to be with, feel and experience and at the same time see, notice, witness it. This witnessing is the space of silence and stillness. That does not mean that the experience itself is still or peaceful. And this we need to understand. 

Meditation does not mean that you are not thinking or just having pleasant experiences. There is just a space around your thinking, stress, fear, anxiety, restlessness that is not moving, not doing, just noticing. This is the space of meditation and it does not have any preferences, it is simple being. It does not have an opinion on what is right or wrong, it is beyond any judgement of reality. It is empty space holding all experiences. 

MEDITATION MEANS WITHOUT ANY GOAL 

So to think that I am not doing my meditation well if there is a lot of anxiety showing up in me during my silence sitting meditation is a complete misunderstanding. In fact meditation is never going well, because meditation is never going anywhere. Meditation means no goal. It is a space beyond any goal. It does not want anything. Meditation means saying yes to reality exactly as it is. It means to receive reality as it is, without any interference. It is beyond thought and judgment, it is the empty space holding all of your experience in complete unconditional love and allowance. 

So everytime we are engaging in a goal we are leaving the space of meditation, even if this goal is to become enlightened. A goal is in the future and brings us away from the present moment because it is a direct or indirect rejection of the present moment. What we are really saying when we are involved in reaching a goal or a specific outcome is that ”It would be better if I was there and not here.” 

Meditation is the field of the present moment, no matter how the moment is unfolding itself. We make this moment our priority and our interest. 

MEDITATION MEANS YES

When we are in a space of meditation we are in a ”yes” to life as it is. Instead of saying ”I want this or at least not this”, we say ”I am available for whatever is showing up in me and I am showing up to meet it with allowance and compassion.” I am not trying to fix it, change it, manipulate it, avoid it, running away from it, engaging in it even. I am simply there, watching, noticing – as a loving holding space. Like a mother being with her children, available without pushing anything. 

Not pushing away neither pulling towards. And there is the movement of silence and stillness. Peace simply means that I am not fighting. We can not be in peace if we are seperated, divided – if we are fighting our experience. Violent and conflict can never create peace and true peace does not fight war. 

Meditation is being inline with universes will and a surrender to it. To understand that we are small and never made anything happen. We are simply organs and moved by something bigger. To oppose anything else would be to play God and creates a lot of stress pressure. We can not rest. Meditation means taking a rest. A true rest from all of your inner activity, from all of the fighting, from all of trying to control. 

And the funny thing is that whatever we resist is not moving. It is like a paradox. Our experience can only shift when we say fully yes to it. It is like the universe won’t take no for an answer. 

LOVING HOLDING SPACE

What we are saying by saying yes to our experience is ”You are welcomed as you are. I love you.” For what is love if not allowance, includance of something exactly as it is? My perspective is that the universe is made out of love and that is why she won’t take no for an answer, including everything is her intention – so when we alined ourselves with that we are moved, not before. 

LIVING MEDITATION

So when can you say yes to your experience? Right now, in any moment, in all moments – PRESENT moments. With this understanding we do not separate mediation as a practice from life. We simply include the space of mediation to our everyday life, we relate to life from this space, we engage with life from the space of meditation – speaking, making love, eating, taking the metro, reading a book, working out. 

INVITATIONS FOR SELF INQUIRY INTO THE SPACE OF MEDITATION:

• Practice sensing yourself while doing something (talking, walking, eating, sitting)

• Write down all the ideas you have about meditation and the goals of meditation 

• Explore through Inquiry: What is meditation? What is happening inside you right now?

• Practice slowly to say yes to your more challenging experiences by stopping and noticing if only for a few breaths before you move on with your reactions. And you will notice that after a while you have more resilience and can stay longer. 

• Practice bodyscanns and sensing your body while practicing sitting meditation and move your body for a few minutes before you sit down (movement and touch supports us in sensing the body).