When Chris visited last week, I showed him how to do some ocean breathing, and rather than listening and paying attention, he chose to take a video of me mid-breath. Where once I would have minded, I chose instead to laugh it off, as my repeated encouragement for him to try daily meditation has thus far been left with less than a shrug. Andy mentioned that meditation is a personal thing, and it’s true that what works for one person may not work for another. And when you have a mind as distracted, unfocused, and racing as most of us do these days, well, no form of meditation may work, especially when the practitioner wants instant change and immediate gratification. My experience with meditation is that the biggest key to successfully implementing it as a part of your life is to be consistent, be organized, and be absolutely dedicated to it, even if you don’t notice a change right away. Not everyone can do that, and I’m not an expert on how to reach people.
To his credit, after a lengthy night swim and some quiet talk, he gave it a shot for a few minutes, and he said it seemed to work better than previous attempts because he was already in a calm space. Here’s hoping he can work it into his daily life, as the ones who seem to likely benefit the most from meditation often find it hardest to do. That’s a tricky conundrum comprising a difficult life.
