Conscious Choice: Spiritual Practice: Just Do It!

July 2004 | Body & Mind Health

Spiritual Practice: Just Do It!

Darlene E. Paris

You can’t tell just by looking at me, but my nerves are extremely fragile. If you give me too many things to do at once, it’ll overwhelm me. My doctor has suggested I take Valium and Xanax to settle my nerves, but meditation is my drug of choice. My guru says that meditation is medicine for the mind, so I’ve decided to use meditation to calm my mind instead.

When I do it, meditation certainly does soothe my mind and body and spirit. Yet, my meditation practice is sporadic. It’s not that I don’t want to meditate, it’s just that when there’s so much going on in my life, I don’t always have time to sit in silence.

I want to believe that missing a few days of meditation practice won’t hurt. Interestingly, I view my practice as a kind of spiritual bank account — a reserve of meditative energy that should be available whenever I need it. Since I’ve been practicing meditation on and off for about eight years, I believe I should be able to draw upon this energy on days I don’t feel like meditating.

A recent event at work, however, proved me wrong. “How long did you say you’ve been meditating?” my business partner, Derrick, asked me after I responded angrily to something that had happened at the office. “Eight years,” I sniffed. At that moment, I didn’t realize my partner’s question was rhetorical, and that he was offhandedly reminding me of the reason I sit in meditation — to remain at peace no matter what happens throughout the day.

I recall the days I spent living in a meditation community when a day of meditation only got you through that day. “This day is everything, this day is all,” I remember my meditation teacher saying. When I thought about my week, I recalled that I had left my house each morning without sitting in silence. I didn’t even take the time to practice yoga — another spiritual practice I use to keep me centered. I slacked off my practice because I had to work earlier than usual and convinced myself that I would find some time during my workday to meditate. But during that week, I barely had time to eat lunch.

I wish I could tell you that the times I leave my house without sitting in silence are rare, but rushing out of the door in the morning to make it to work on time is the morning ritual that has replaced meditation. It’s also that ritual which initially convinced my doctor that I needed Valium.

It turns out that I’m so busy making a living, that I’ve neglected the practice that helps me stay sane. And ironically, I don’t practice meditation unless I can find enough time in my schedule to squeeze it in.

Upon a recent visit to Chicago, my meditation teacher encouraged me to always find time for meditation practice no matter what’s happening in my life. “There are no excuses,” he says. He reminded me that it is the most sacred time of day. “It’s an opportunity for you to realize your connection with the divine.”

He suggested I awaken 30 minutes earlier than usual to do it. He even told me about ways I could shorten my practice with breathing techniques, or pranayama exercises, while I’m driving to work. I did not tell him how much I like to cling to bed in the morning and that to wake up earlier means that I have to make a few changes in my lifestyle. First of all, I’d have to get organized. For example, I’d be better off preparing my lunch and ironing my clothes at night instead of trying to get it all done in the morning. Next, I’d have to learn to go to bed earlier — I’m a relentless night owl.

As I considered all the things I need to do in order to practice meditation daily, I wondered if doing it every day would really make a difference in my busy life. This wise teacher of mine assured me that my mind would not only be at peace, but my entire world would change.

Suddenly, it dawned upon me that change is exactly what I’m afraid of. As strange as it may seem, I’m addicted to my fast-paced way of living. At the same time, my hustle-bustle lifestyle is driving me absolutely insane. Again, my teacher weighed in saying that meditation would not only give me peace of mind, but it would help me confront my fear of change as well.

I don’t know exactly how many years of meditation practice it will take for me to finally feel at peace. All I know is that it really doesn’t matter. The most important thing is that I just sit in silence for as long and as often as possible, knowing the reward is that, even with my life in total chaos, my mind, body, and spirit will be completely still.

Darlene E. Paris is a Chicago-based writer specializing in spiritual matters.

Recommend this page to a friend

Top Ten pages recommended to friends: