Meditation. When you read that word, what comes to mind? You or someone sitting on the floor, cross-legged, eyes closed, hands in a Mudra, doing their best to force any and every thought out of their head. Am I correct? Yes. Are you correct? Not entirely.

This popular image of and impression about meditation is a stereotype. This could be one way of meditating – definitely not the only way. In my opinion, meditation is as personal, individual and unique as … we ourselves! I believe, when it comes to meditation, instead of asking “How do I do it?”, we better ask, “What does it feel like?” Because meditation is not about doing it a certain way but about being in a certain state.

Any activity, any ritual, any doing that brings and keeps you into the present, is meditation. It could be watching and feeling the ocean, it could be knitting, it could be cooking, it could be playing with a child (unstructured, go-with-the-flow kind of play). The key to being in a meditative state is to be so present that no thought comes to you. Thoughts are always about either the past or the future. When we are in the moment, there is nothing to think about. There is only to feel and to be.

Meditation is not about forcing the thoughts out of your ever-active mind. It is about surpassing the mind to go into a thought-less state of being. But before you get there, you need to observe – yourself, your mind, your thoughts, your surroundings – without judgement. Why? Because when there is no judgement, there are no labels – no labels, no words – no words, no language – no language, no functional mind. This is how you surpass the mind. Then, there is only awareness.

This awareness connects us to the Source, the Universal mind, the collective consciousness. So when you think ‘meditation’ next time, be ready to surrender and go with the flow. Be gentle with yourself. Don’t force anything. Simply become present and observe without judgement.

Happy meditating!