Why Haven't You Tried Meditating?

It’s our second year owning a quaint waterfront cottage, and so far we’ve experience 2 unprecedented weather phenomenon – the first year it was high flood waters and this year it was wicked wind storms.

Both times our waterfront was left unharmed, thank God for these wonderful blessings.

My other cottage neighbors weren’t as lucky and were left to repair extensive water damage and fallen trees

I joked that it was all the meditating I do at the dock every weekend, though part of me really believes that this true.

I do believe that meditation is the harbinger of divine energy and that you can ask to be divinely protected, despite knowing that we’re really never in control, I still live a little lighter having faith that I can at least ask. And hope that whatever does come my I can find the blessings in it.

So before I digress, on my subject line which is asking why haven’t you started meditating? There’s so much scientific research on the benefits of practicing meditation (or “mindfulness”, dare I use the word meditation as it may sound too “spiritual”.) It’s even on the cover of TIMES magazine.

Here I thought Meditation was already, very much infused in the mainstream. So when I met my lovely, cottage neighbor and now good friend, and she told me she had never meditated before, I must admit, I was a little shocked.

I have a fondness for her and especially for the fact that she is a beekeeper (she has 2 hives on her front porch). She is also a tree hugger and a nature lover enthusiast like myself. In my eyes, she is already so connected with Mother Nature that I was shocked that she didn’t already harness this divine connection with herself, through meditation.

Meditation has been a huge part of my daily routine for the last 10 years, and I talk about it so much, that I just assume anyone that comes close to and stays in my energy field also meditates.

So when I said to, “Hey let’s meditate and go for a run, this weekend,” and she said, “I am game for either, even though I have never meditated” It struck me that yes, not all nature loving people meditate, Ivy.

If you haven’t started meditating yet, I am most certainly wondering why?

Since each of us is different, I then can only speak about the benefits I discovered due to having a meditation practice.

I became calmer. This was a big deal for me. I grew up with a father who was an alcoholic, abusive and had a bad temper. (All is forgiven and redeemed now by the way), My child was volatile, there was a lot of screaming, anger, and rage. I came to communicate like this as well, I too had a quick temper, and I easily raise my voice, whenever I express frustration, impatience, and anger. In fact, I was an all-out road-rager.

Never hesitating to roll down the window to shout out at the perpetrator. Besides maturity, meditation gave me a filter to buffer my quick temper. Soon my temper would only be reserved for extremely irate moments.

Perhaps you don’t have anywhere near a background like this and you are a super calm, stoic, person already – well then you likely won’t need this benefit of meditation.

Another benefit of meditation that you may not see in the “scientific research” side of things, is that you improve your intuition. Good old gut instinct! I can’t explain it and neither has science really, but intuition is real! I don’t consider myself a medium of any sort, but meditation gave me the ability to have this 6th sense, to really differentiate between doubt and gut instinct. This alone was worth all the time and effort put I have put into meditation. Learning to trust your gut saves you time in decision making, and the ability to accept and be at peace with your decisions for better or for worse.

The last benefit that I am going to explain in this blog, that I know you may not find in the scientific research is that feeling of One-ness. I know right, like what the heck is that? This is the reason why I was shocked that my cottage neighbor didn’t meditate seeing that she was a nature lover.

What does meditation have to do with being a nature lover? When I am in nature I feel so good, like I belong there (because we really do). I breathe easier, and I feel a sense of peace. And yes, this feeling is what I also get out of meditation.

Well, the above is just a few of the reason I meditate. And if you are not a nature lover, then I still think meditation is for you. In the meantime, check out my future blog, to get updates on my new meditation spot — my neighbor’s dock!