Practical Meditation For a Better Life

All my clients meditate - some more than othersto your leg going to sleep, you learn how to not
- but all of them, at least some of the time. Whatscratch that itchy nose. In other words, you learn
kind of people are they - these meditators? Mainlyhow to simply let such distractions, frustrations
business people - a lot of CEOs, Directors, Generaland annoyances pass - as such frustrations,
Managers - but a lot of ordinary, everyday peopledistractions and annoyances pass in our ordinary
too - people just like you and I. Some of themeveryday life. If you learn how to stay focused
meditated long before they ever met me - butwhilst meditating so that you don't scratch that
most of them admit that, whilst they felt gooditch, you will become untroubled by distractions,
whilst meditating, it didn't make a massiveannoyances and frustrations that can otherwise
difference to the cut and thrust of theirplague us during our ordinary everyday life.
everyday lives. So - two questions: What's theThe discipline of meditation teaches us to observe
point of meditating if it makes no difference tothe present moment. We experience the reality
your everyday life? And, if it makes noof the here and now. As a result, we stop looking
difference, why do my clients meditate?for something else, for more. The constant
Answering the first question's easy. There's littlestruggle of the muddled, dissatisfied normal mind
point in meditating if it makes no difference tostops - we learn to stop searching because the
your everyday life. Now, I'm sure that it doespresent moment is complete. We begin to realise
make some difference for even those whothat life's struggles are only in the mind - fear,
thought it made none - so there's always aworry, doubt, lack of self-esteem are simply no
benefit in doing anything that's better than livingmore than useless thoughts - but thoughts that,
an automatic mindless life like so many people donevertheless wreck people's lives and people's
(that's not me being judgemental - that's scientifichappiness. Learn how to stop struggling through
fact - read the psychological proof!). Butthe discipline of meditation and the struggle of
meditation, if properly applied, should make aneveryday life will simply stop. Effortlessly.
astounding difference to every aspect of your lifeMeditation is often misunderstood. It may well lead
- every day, if not every moment of every day.you to an altered state of mind - indeed, that
Meditation is the most effective way to achievemay be the ultimate objective. But, today, the
everyday effortless happiness and success.discipline of meditation will enable you truly live
Meditation provides you with a means of takingtoday to the very, very best of your ability -
control of your own mental capacity, of your ownfree from all the normal inner voices that tell us
ability to give your undivided attention to the taskwe can't do our very, very best.
in hand, whatever the task in hand might be.An investment of five, ten or fifteen minutes
Meditation provides you with the means ofeach day will mean that the rest of the twenty
channelling your energy - physical, mental, spiritual,four hours will be a completely different
it's all just energy - into the present momentexperience to anything the normal mind could
where, quantum physics proves, the energy ofimagine. Sure, bad things will happen during the run
the universe will respond to that input.of the day. Sure, distractions and frustrations will
Over the next few paragraphs, I describe howabound. But the difference will be that, unlike the
meditation helps you achieve all this.normal person who reacts to such things and
Meditation is a mirror image of the normal routinemakes them worse, you will be able to act with a
of the average everyday. The meditator isclear and present mind. And just like the itchy
plagued by distraction, frustration and uselessnose, the distraction or frustration will pass.
thought. The body tries to trip you up - whetherBut that is only the beginning. Because with a clear
it's an itchy nose, back pain, one of your legsand present mind you will enter flow - a scientific
going to sleep. These "obstacles" mirror theterm coined by the University of Chicago. In flow,
frustration we all feel when success appears toyou will hit your peak performance. In flow,
be elusive, the annoyance of negative people whouniversal energy will respond to the simple fact
are itching to get you embroiled in their dramas,that you've invested more of your energy in the
the distractions of useless "what-if" worries andpresent moment than all the normal people who
the debilitation of self-doubt.half-live their lives in doubt and frustration. You will
When you meditate, you learn not to let thebecome abnormally happy and successful. All for a
thoughts distract you, you learn how not to reactfew minutes each morning.