Why meditation matters even more today? (2 min read)

I started making meditation a daily practice for about five years only, but the changes are so phenomenal.  I now am convinced that you can’t practise only asana to advance in your yoga, but at some point your practice must include the practice toward “stillness” so that you give permission for yoga to transform you in a profound way. 

Recently finished “Stolen Focus” by Johann Hari.  While I didn't resonate with every aspect of the book, Hari's insights shed light on a pressing issue: our collective attention span is at an all-time low, harming meaningful discourse to happen and therefore human progress.

Hari highlights a sobering reality: the relentless pursuit of our attention by tech giants, fueled by the brightest, highest-paid minds in the industry, makes it nearly impossible for individuals to resist the allure of constant distraction. Simply "digital detoxing" isn't a viable solution—it's akin to donning a gas mask in heavily polluted air for a few days.

It's no wonder that we often find ourselves mindlessly scrolling, seeking refuge from the uncomfortable truths and unresolved issues we'd rather avoid. 

But as we know deep down, avoidance only perpetuates the cycle of discontent and unease.

Meditation is hence exactly why needed more than ever.

Because it helps us to detach ourselves from our thoughts and emotions, gaining the clarity and perspective needed to transcend our reactive tendencies.  It gives us that distance to observe the angry me, agitated me, disappointed me but not be carried away.  It lets us see through who we truly are beyond all those tangible possessions & monkey mind - that which is eternal and uncaused, and beyond the fleeting realities of the external world.

Meditation isn't about achieving a state of "no thought," but rather finding solace in the moments when we're blissfully unaware of our own thinking.

Sharing one of my favourite quotes on meditation (zazen 坐禪 in Japanese) 

"When you are practicing zazen, do not try to stop your thinking. Let it stop by itself. If something comes into your mind, let it come in, and let it go out. It will not stay long. When you try to stop your thinking, it means you are bothered by it. Do not be bothered by anything. It appears as if something comes from outside your mind, but actually it is only the waves of your mind, and if you are not bothered by the waves, gradually they will become calmer and calmer" -- Shunryu Suzuki, "Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind" 

I wish you a peaceful journey inward.

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