Hi, Jeff here. I’m one of the co-founders of MEA, and I have a confession to make:
I used to intensely dislike meditating or any sort of mindfulness exercise.
I had tried meditating many times over the years but found that I was horrible at it. My brain never stayed still. My inner mindscape felt like a tumble dryer of thoughts with the bright red underwear of an idea usually right in front of the window, rolling and turning and saying, “Hey Jeff, look at me spin!”
On top of that, it had also been my experience that people who meditated were… how shall I say this… a complete pain in the ass. So I avoided meditation as I avoided them.
But then I became part of MEA – and over the years I’ve been exposed to many meditation styles and practices from various guest faculty and participants.
And I finally understood why mindfulness practices are so powerful.
Meditation isn’t about emptying your mind of thought. It’s about noticing.
Noticing your breath… the busy-ness of your brain… how your body is feeling… and observing your thoughts without getting too attached to them.
And when you practice this kind of internal noticing regularly, it unlocks your ability to become more observant and discerning in other parts of your life as well.
I’m still a total neophyte, but I am now committed to making meditation a regular part of my life. Even just a minute of mindfulness before a meeting helps clear my head and remain focused on what matters.
Buddhists say we suffer because we don’t see the world clearly.
If meditation can help me see the world more clearly, then perhaps I can cut down on my own suffering and that of those around me. And that’s more than a good enough reason for me to keep practicing.