Meditation and  

Modern Living 

 

This month, I thought it would be a good time to pause for a moment.  The New Year begins its fourth month, and the season of spring is upon us.  April is usually a month of turmoil, so taking a moment of pause cannot be a bad thing.  A silent "time out" can be a wholesome escape from the quick pace of life and bring clarity to a year that is moving fast.  It is easy to forget about meditation as a part of a healthy lifestyle, but this ancient practice is beneficial for bringing peace and clear thinking to us when we need it the most in this modern world.

Meditation is one of the cornerstones of developing transparency and sorting out issues.  It is something that we treat as if it were a new method of getting in touch with our inner selves, but meditation or taking time to reflect was once a common practice. It has been an effective tool for gaining balance and perspective for centuries, and many famous people have engaged in it.  My recent trip to Spain and visit to the monastery at Montserrat was a reminder that some of the greatest minds in history were people who meditated on a regular basis.  These people often spoke about visions and had many psychic experiences. They went to places like monasteries to reflect and take time to "retreat".  Many of them changed their lives after they had a period of reflection and contemplation.

Somewhere along the way, lifestyles changed and meditation, visions, and other psychic impressions became unusual or abnormal.  While these practices were once considered a way to connect with the Divine, this does not appear to be the case today. We are, however; returning to meditation as a method to heal our minds, bodies and souls. Some things from the past do not need to be "updated." 

Studies are showing, for example, that the treatment of depression can be more successful when meditation in conjunction with a doctor's care.  The rigor of science is proving that a simple practice can help us with our complex lives. Science is bringing us back to a time when introspection was acceptable.  It is refreshing that we are beginning to accept this ancient form of therapy as a source for healing because it is very easy to do.  It is disappointing, however, that we need studies to have us believe in meditating.

Contemplation is a practice that we should include in our routines.  It is far too often that we use other distractions to avoid issues in our lives when the best remedy may be to just have some quiet time alone with our thoughts.  Quiet time allows our souls to regenerate and figure out a positive course with which to handle issues.  It may take a period of time to gain the insight you need to solve a problem, but learning patience can also be very rewarding.  There are times in our lives when taking time to reflect and retreat is the best thing we can do for ourselves.   The usual turmoil of the month of April just seems to be one of those times.

John Cappello