I have been in India for the past month and the highlight of this trip was teaching our children how to meditate. It came very natural to them and they are all now meditating for 15 minutes at 6pm each and every day. A proud moment for Mommy Corrine.
I am thrilled that meditation is starting to become main stream. Just in the past month I have been contacted by several businesses wanting to add meditation in the workplace. I also have a TV channel in Nashville coming over to Ivy House in a few weeks to do a special piece on meditation.
On one hand it can be challenging and confusing for people to know which meditation is right for them. Can you or should you meditate with an app? So here is some advice on how to begin.
1. Can you meditate with an app? I love apps. They are fun and can be very useful. I would say it depends on what you are ready for. Do you just want to dabble and meditate for a few minutes, several times a week? A meditation app can be great when you are traveling to help you relax when you are on the plane for instance. Some apps are also great in assisting falling to sleep. Know their limitations and use them accordingly.
2. Can you learn meditation from a book? After meditating and teaching meditation for 30 years, I personally have not met anyone who meditates regularly that learned out of a book. I think books are a great support but not the end game. Can you learn to drive from a book?
3. How about an online course? There are many online meditation courses now and I am sure some of them are wonderful. I would say try to find someone you connect with, either online or in person.
How do I know what technique is right for me? I was very lucky enough to find meditation almost 30 years ago and I found a wonderful teacher. I would say any technique that you stick with is right for you. Going to someone who has much experience in meditation may save you years of trials and many failures.
To learn to meditation directly from a teacher is ideal. Ultimately the hardest part of meditation is the discipline to do it so having a teacher can help you to be accountable. An experienced teacher can also help you with the myriad of questions that come up when you finally decide to sit and meditate. We are not use to closing our eyes and listening. We are use to closing our eyes to sleep or to dream. But restful alertness which is how meditation can be described, is another story altogether because we have to learn to be okay with our thoughts and that is something that most people find near impossible. Imagine not being okay with your own thoughts? Those thoughts are there whether you pay attention to them or not so best to get friendly with what is going on in that head of yours…just saying : ).