“Know thyself.” - Ancient Greek aphorism inscribed in the Temple of Delphi
Only with self-knowledge can you be the best version of you. The more consistent you are in your meditation practice, the more you come to understand about yourself, which is the source of freedom and fulfillment in life.
When you challenge yourself in a safe space, you’re more equipped to face the difficulties in your life. In self-reflection you learn the skills necessary for ultimate strength, happiness, and well-being.
Awareness
When you meditate, you become aware of the quantitative diversity of your thoughts. With the use of a mantra, you learn to release those thoughts and continually return to your tranquil mind. This process allows you to be more aware of your thoughts both in and out of meditation. This awareness is the base of your happiness because it’s where you live in the present moment. When your thoughts take you away from the synchronized beauty of the present moment, the practice of this awareness helps to bring you back to the here and now.
Letting Go
By consistently returning to your mantra in meditation, you’re practicing the act of letting go. You let go of judgment and analysis, which helps you to remain calm, alert, and in the now. When you face unexpected thoughts that come up in meditation and let them go, you become more skilled at dealing with unexpected situations that come up in your life. This meditation technique helps to limit your quick reactions to everyday circumstances. You learn to observe the flow of your thoughts, pleasant or painful, without getting caught up in them.
Gentleness
In your practice you need to be gentle with yourself. If you’re harsh and judgmental every time you have a thought, you’ll lose yourself in criticism and aggravation. By scheduling consistent “me time,” you mark yourself as important without needing the approval of others. During this time you can let go of the mind chatter from your roles and responsibilities and just be with yourself. By taking the time to sit and be with yourself in silence, you practice kindness, compassion, love, patience, flexibility, and acceptance.
Faith
During meditation, you surrender your thoughts with faith and let go of the need to make sense of what goes on in your mind. This faith develops in your life as well. You become more comfortable with not understanding certain things or not having all the answers. You allow yourself to be a little more vulnerable to the natural unfolding of life, which makes way for healing. This creates resilience to help you bounce back when challenges in life become overwhelming, and this ultimately helps you to evolve into your best self.
Choice
When you let go of your thoughts in meditation, you’re not suppressing them; you’re witnessing them and then letting them go so that you may choose what is most nourishing for your practice. You remove obstacles in your meditation, which also helps you to recognize and remove them from your life. You’re not running from your thoughts, you’re simple choosing which direction is most wholesome.
Focus
In meditation, each time you return to your mantra, you practice single pointedness. You focus your awareness where you want it to go, developing your inner experience of being centered. Outside your practice, you become more skilled at focusing your energy on those thoughts and actions that honor your true nature. Your inner guidance strengthens and evolves as you face opposition but peace comes from knowing yourself and returning to the present where gratitude lives.
