How To Become An Expert In Meditation This Year!

WEBVTT

00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:01.740
All right, so we're diving into meditation today.

00:00:01.780 --> 00:00:04.500
I know you wanna know more about it. And you

00:00:04.500 --> 00:00:07.500
sent over this ebook, How to Become a Meditation

00:00:07.500 --> 00:00:11.080
Expert. Oh yeah, meditationlifeskills .com. That's

00:00:11.080 --> 00:00:15.509
the one. It is really interesting. They do love

00:00:15.509 --> 00:00:18.030
their newsletter and podcast, don't they? They

00:00:18.030 --> 00:00:20.010
really do. But we're gonna put that aside for

00:00:20.010 --> 00:00:21.929
now and just focus on what you wanna know. Right.

00:00:22.089 --> 00:00:23.789
Because there's just so much info out there on

00:00:23.789 --> 00:00:26.109
meditation, right? So we're gonna try to break

00:00:26.109 --> 00:00:27.890
it all down. What are the key takeaways from

00:00:27.890 --> 00:00:30.739
all of this? Yeah, for sure. I mean, it's very

00:00:30.739 --> 00:00:32.479
overwhelming when you're first starting out.

00:00:32.560 --> 00:00:34.520
You're like, where do I even begin? Totally.

00:00:34.859 --> 00:00:37.299
And this e -book, it doesn't hold back. Right

00:00:37.299 --> 00:00:39.700
off the bat, they tackle that whole I don't have

00:00:39.700 --> 00:00:42.420
time excuse. Oh, yeah. I've heard that one a

00:00:42.420 --> 00:00:45.719
lot. And they're like, time is irrelevant. They

00:00:45.719 --> 00:00:47.899
even mention this waking meditation thing, which

00:00:47.899 --> 00:00:50.259
sounds kind of cool, but I don't know. I mean,

00:00:50.280 --> 00:00:52.600
I get your skepticism. It's like, really? Come

00:00:52.600 --> 00:00:55.200
on. Yeah. But what if we look at it this way?

00:00:55.539 --> 00:00:58.579
Maybe it's not about like ignoring time completely,

00:00:58.880 --> 00:01:01.140
but maybe more about how we how we can actually

00:01:01.140 --> 00:01:04.790
change our relationship with it. Oh, I like that.

00:01:04.810 --> 00:01:07.129
So instead of being like, oh, I got to find 30

00:01:07.129 --> 00:01:09.269
minutes to meditate, it's like maybe finding

00:01:09.269 --> 00:01:11.569
these little moments of peace throughout the

00:01:11.569 --> 00:01:14.609
day. Yeah. Yeah. Like little pockets. Exactly.

00:01:14.799 --> 00:01:17.480
And that's where that waking meditation comes

00:01:17.480 --> 00:01:19.799
in, right? Like, how can you be mindful, even

00:01:19.799 --> 00:01:22.040
if it's just for a few breaths, just throughout

00:01:22.040 --> 00:01:23.980
your normal day? OK, I'm seeing the potential

00:01:23.980 --> 00:01:26.680
here, but they also talk about, like, all these

00:01:26.680 --> 00:01:28.980
benefits. OK, stress reduction, relaxation, sure.

00:01:29.040 --> 00:01:31.599
Of course, yeah. But then it's like improved

00:01:31.599 --> 00:01:35.180
physical appearance. Connect with your true self.

00:01:35.780 --> 00:01:38.319
Boost your creativity. It's a lot. It can be

00:01:38.319 --> 00:01:40.689
like, whoa, wait a minute, hold on. Yeah. Too

00:01:40.689 --> 00:01:43.010
good to be true, maybe. But, I mean, a lot of

00:01:43.010 --> 00:01:44.790
meditation traditions will talk about how, you

00:01:44.790 --> 00:01:47.230
know, your mind, body, spirit, they're all connected.

00:01:47.469 --> 00:01:49.409
So I think some of these claims, they might seem

00:01:49.409 --> 00:01:52.310
a little out there, but they kind of fit with

00:01:52.310 --> 00:01:55.209
this bigger picture of well -being. So it's not

00:01:55.209 --> 00:01:57.189
just about feeling calmer. Like, this could impact

00:01:57.189 --> 00:01:59.329
every part of your life. Yeah, I mean, that's

00:01:59.329 --> 00:02:01.530
the idea. That's what makes it so fascinating

00:02:01.530 --> 00:02:03.750
to explore, right? It's not just about the techniques,

00:02:03.870 --> 00:02:06.430
but, like, what are these ripple effects that

00:02:06.430 --> 00:02:09.789
happen from doing it? And according to them,

00:02:10.219 --> 00:02:12.580
anyone can do this. They list out all these beliefs,

00:02:12.680 --> 00:02:15.460
you know, atheists, agnostics, realists, optimists,

00:02:15.740 --> 00:02:18.340
like, it doesn't matter. Right, right. Everyone.

00:02:18.680 --> 00:02:20.120
Yeah, because I think that's really important

00:02:20.120 --> 00:02:22.520
for people who are maybe on the fence about meditation,

00:02:23.020 --> 00:02:24.979
because they're like, oh, isn't that just for,

00:02:24.979 --> 00:02:27.099
you know, spiritual people? Yeah. And they're

00:02:27.099 --> 00:02:29.280
like, no, no, no, this e -book is saying, like,

00:02:29.400 --> 00:02:31.539
no dogma here. Totally, like, leave your labels

00:02:31.539 --> 00:02:34.280
at the door, come on in. Exactly. Now, one thing

00:02:34.280 --> 00:02:37.009
I struggle with is... all the different techniques,

00:02:37.909 --> 00:02:40.550
guided meditations, mindfulness, transcendental

00:02:40.550 --> 00:02:45.430
meditation. Which one? So many choices. So many.

00:02:45.930 --> 00:02:48.750
But thankfully, this e -book is like, find one

00:02:48.750 --> 00:02:51.490
and stick with it. Yes. And I think that's great

00:02:51.490 --> 00:02:55.069
advice, especially for a busy person, because

00:02:55.069 --> 00:02:57.110
you could just get so caught up in trying to

00:02:57.110 --> 00:02:59.669
do every single technique. and then you end up

00:02:59.669 --> 00:03:02.349
doing nothing. Totally. So before we get into

00:03:02.349 --> 00:03:04.129
the specifics, let's zoom out. Like what's the

00:03:04.129 --> 00:03:06.909
whole point of meditation? The big why. Yeah.

00:03:07.289 --> 00:03:10.610
And they talk about like quieting the mind, connecting

00:03:10.610 --> 00:03:12.810
with a deeper part of yourself. It's like tuning

00:03:12.810 --> 00:03:16.270
out static to hear a clear signal. Oh, I like

00:03:16.270 --> 00:03:19.009
that. So there's like this whole other dimension

00:03:19.009 --> 00:03:21.509
inside of us, but we're usually too distracted

00:03:21.509 --> 00:03:24.050
to even notice. Yeah. You know, like we're so

00:03:24.050 --> 00:03:27.009
busy, busy, busy that we don't have that time

00:03:27.009 --> 00:03:30.270
to just be. Okay, how do we get there? They describe

00:03:30.270 --> 00:03:33.530
a simple starting point. Find a quiet spot, focus

00:03:33.530 --> 00:03:36.050
on your surroundings, then bodily sensations,

00:03:36.710 --> 00:03:39.050
and then your breath. Is that similar to other

00:03:39.050 --> 00:03:40.810
stuff? Yeah, it's got elements of mindfulness

00:03:40.810 --> 00:03:44.409
in there, which is really popular, and it's accessible,

00:03:44.550 --> 00:03:47.030
so you're bringing attention to your external

00:03:47.030 --> 00:03:48.889
environment and then your internal environment.

00:03:49.050 --> 00:03:51.379
You're practicing being present. Right. which

00:03:51.379 --> 00:03:53.680
is kind of like the foundation of a lot of different

00:03:53.680 --> 00:03:56.280
meditation techniques. So even though they present

00:03:56.280 --> 00:03:59.379
it as like their own unique method, it has a

00:03:59.379 --> 00:04:01.419
lot of common ground with other things. Yeah.

00:04:01.479 --> 00:04:03.479
And I think that's reassuring for people because

00:04:03.479 --> 00:04:06.439
then they're like, oh, there's flexibility here.

00:04:06.659 --> 00:04:10.979
It's not so rigid. Good. OK, good. Because I

00:04:10.979 --> 00:04:13.219
think that's what makes people afraid to start,

00:04:13.219 --> 00:04:15.360
right? They're like, I'm going to do it wrong.

00:04:15.360 --> 00:04:18.779
Yeah. And this e -book is like. No expectations.

00:04:19.220 --> 00:04:21.199
You might fall asleep. You might have your mind

00:04:21.199 --> 00:04:23.879
wander. You might be uncomfortable. It's all

00:04:23.879 --> 00:04:25.980
good. It's all part of the process. It's normal.

00:04:26.019 --> 00:04:27.779
Yeah, because I think people are like, wait,

00:04:27.800 --> 00:04:30.439
I'm supposed to be like blissed out, right? But

00:04:30.439 --> 00:04:32.779
I'm thinking about like what I need to get at

00:04:32.779 --> 00:04:35.939
the grocery store. Exactly. But the truth is.

00:04:36.129 --> 00:04:38.550
Our minds, they are active. They're thinking

00:04:38.550 --> 00:04:41.490
machines. Lots are gonna pop up. That's totally

00:04:41.490 --> 00:04:44.170
normal. It's not about suppressing them, but

00:04:44.170 --> 00:04:46.029
it's like, okay, can we notice those thoughts

00:04:46.029 --> 00:04:48.389
but not get swept up in them? All right, so remember

00:04:48.389 --> 00:04:51.430
how they said time is irrelevant? Yeah, right.

00:04:51.870 --> 00:04:53.790
Well, they do say you should aim for like 15,

00:04:53.829 --> 00:04:57.170
30 minutes, but they emphasize consistency over

00:04:57.170 --> 00:04:59.779
duration. Right, which I think is a more practical

00:04:59.779 --> 00:05:02.040
approach. Totally. Because, you know, you're

00:05:02.040 --> 00:05:03.959
busy, I'm busy, we all have stuff to do, so it's

00:05:03.959 --> 00:05:06.259
like, okay, if you can fit in short, consistent

00:05:06.259 --> 00:05:09.060
bursts, that's more realistic than being like,

00:05:09.180 --> 00:05:11.720
oh, I need to meditate for an hour, you know,

00:05:11.740 --> 00:05:15.600
once a month. Small steps, big impact. Yeah.

00:05:15.740 --> 00:05:17.980
All right, let's talk about a big myth they bust

00:05:17.980 --> 00:05:22.360
in this e -book. Clearing your mind. Oh, yeah,

00:05:22.399 --> 00:05:24.860
that one. I have tried so hard. to have an empty

00:05:24.860 --> 00:05:27.100
mind. You and everyone else who starts meditating.

00:05:27.240 --> 00:05:30.319
And then I'm like, I'm failing at this. So why

00:05:30.319 --> 00:05:33.399
is this idea like so harmful? It sets you up

00:05:33.399 --> 00:05:36.819
for failure because our minds are always generating

00:05:36.819 --> 00:05:39.060
thoughts. So trying to make them stop is like

00:05:39.060 --> 00:05:40.959
it's like trying to hold back a raging river.

00:05:41.319 --> 00:05:42.939
It's not going to happen. Not going to happen.

00:05:43.000 --> 00:05:44.740
You're just going to get more frustrated. So

00:05:44.740 --> 00:05:46.779
instead of fighting our thoughts, we need to

00:05:46.779 --> 00:05:50.529
change how we relate to them. But how? This is

00:05:50.529 --> 00:05:52.990
where I get lost. The e -book mentions befriending

00:05:52.990 --> 00:05:55.629
the mental noise. But what does that even mean?

00:05:55.970 --> 00:05:57.949
Yeah, that's a great question and one that I

00:05:57.949 --> 00:06:00.930
think we need to explore further. It's about

00:06:00.930 --> 00:06:03.730
shifting from this mindset of resistance to one

00:06:03.730 --> 00:06:06.889
of acceptance. Like instead of battling our thoughts,

00:06:06.930 --> 00:06:10.069
can we just observe them with like curiosity,

00:06:10.290 --> 00:06:13.350
not judging, just like, oh, there you are again.

00:06:13.430 --> 00:06:16.089
OK. You know, it's like becoming this like friendly

00:06:16.089 --> 00:06:18.649
observer, you know, of your own thoughts. Oh,

00:06:18.649 --> 00:06:22.310
I like that. So we're not like. we're just kind

00:06:22.310 --> 00:06:25.889
of saying hi to them as they flow by. Yeah, exactly.

00:06:26.189 --> 00:06:28.250
It's a lot less stressful than trying to have,

00:06:28.250 --> 00:06:31.009
like, zero thoughts. Way less. They even compare

00:06:31.009 --> 00:06:34.910
it to watching clouds drift by. Oh, yeah. Like,

00:06:34.970 --> 00:06:36.750
you notice them, but you don't try to, like,

00:06:36.990 --> 00:06:39.149
change them or make them go away. Right. You

00:06:39.149 --> 00:06:40.990
just let them be. Okay, that's a nice visual.

00:06:41.290 --> 00:06:42.910
And it reminds me of something else they say,

00:06:43.509 --> 00:06:45.529
like, the real magic happens when you just observe

00:06:45.529 --> 00:06:48.889
without judgment. Hmm. It sounds almost too simple,

00:06:49.149 --> 00:06:51.810
but... I'm willing to try. Well and it's interesting

00:06:51.810 --> 00:06:54.509
because this idea it actually connects to some

00:06:54.509 --> 00:06:56.589
techniques they use in therapy like cognitive

00:06:56.589 --> 00:07:00.470
behavioral therapy. CBT. Oh really? I know it

00:07:00.470 --> 00:07:02.550
helps people with like managing their thoughts

00:07:02.550 --> 00:07:04.290
and behaviors but I didn't know is related to

00:07:04.290 --> 00:07:07.769
meditation. Yeah. So in CBT a big part of it

00:07:07.769 --> 00:07:10.790
is recognizing that thoughts are just thoughts.

00:07:11.370 --> 00:07:14.379
They don't define you. So by creating that space

00:07:14.379 --> 00:07:17.459
between you and your thoughts, you get more control

00:07:17.459 --> 00:07:20.000
over how you react to them. So instead of automatically

00:07:20.000 --> 00:07:22.120
believing everything you think, you can step

00:07:22.120 --> 00:07:24.839
back and be like, hmm, is that really true? Exactly.

00:07:24.939 --> 00:07:26.839
You get to choose how you respond. That's so

00:07:26.839 --> 00:07:29.339
cool. It makes this befriending your mental noise

00:07:29.339 --> 00:07:32.120
thing make so much more sense. Yeah. It's not

00:07:32.120 --> 00:07:34.980
about becoming. like this emotionless robot.

00:07:35.160 --> 00:07:37.060
It's about having a healthier relationship with

00:07:37.060 --> 00:07:39.480
what's going on in your head. Right. OK, so we're

00:07:39.480 --> 00:07:42.540
not aiming for complete silence, but for mindful

00:07:42.540 --> 00:07:45.579
observation. Right. Just noticing. That feels

00:07:45.579 --> 00:07:48.540
way more doable. But what about those, like,

00:07:48.740 --> 00:07:51.480
deeper states of stillness? And the e -book talks

00:07:51.480 --> 00:07:54.759
about peace, connection, even bliss. Is that,

00:07:54.759 --> 00:07:56.860
like, everyone's experience, or is that just

00:07:56.860 --> 00:07:59.699
for, like, meditation gurus? It's important to

00:07:59.699 --> 00:08:02.790
not oversell that part. You know, while those

00:08:02.790 --> 00:08:05.889
experiences can be really powerful, they're not

00:08:05.889 --> 00:08:08.910
the goal. It's kind of like trying too hard to

00:08:08.910 --> 00:08:11.250
relax. Sometimes the more you focus on it, the

00:08:11.250 --> 00:08:13.629
less relaxed you feel. Oh yeah, I know that feels

00:08:13.629 --> 00:08:15.610
- It's a paradox. Like the more we chase those

00:08:15.610 --> 00:08:17.810
states, the more they slip away. Right. It's

00:08:17.810 --> 00:08:20.709
about surrendering to the process, trusting that

00:08:20.709 --> 00:08:23.750
those deeper states will come naturally. Letting

00:08:23.750 --> 00:08:25.790
go of expectations. It's about the journey, not

00:08:25.790 --> 00:08:28.589
the destination. Exactly. Speaking of journeys,

00:08:28.769 --> 00:08:31.769
remember waking meditation. This is where things

00:08:31.769 --> 00:08:33.610
get interesting, especially for busy people.

00:08:34.330 --> 00:08:36.870
You can bring mindfulness to everyday things,

00:08:37.370 --> 00:08:39.970
like washing dishes, walking the dog, even your

00:08:39.970 --> 00:08:42.350
commute. Right. It's about bridging the gap between

00:08:42.350 --> 00:08:45.309
meditation, like sitting on a cushion, and your

00:08:45.309 --> 00:08:48.809
daily life. So instead of, okay, it's 7 p .m.,

00:08:48.809 --> 00:08:51.269
meditation time. It's like finding those little

00:08:51.269 --> 00:08:53.470
moments of awareness throughout the day. Yeah.

00:08:53.730 --> 00:08:55.570
Yeah. You don't need a special place. You don't

00:08:55.570 --> 00:08:58.210
need any equipment. You can do it anytime, anywhere.

00:08:58.490 --> 00:09:00.009
I actually tried this the other day while I was

00:09:00.009 --> 00:09:02.590
making coffee. Like really paying attention to

00:09:02.590 --> 00:09:05.009
the sounds, the smell, how the mug felt in my

00:09:05.009 --> 00:09:07.450
hands. How'd it feel? It sounds silly, but it

00:09:07.450 --> 00:09:09.649
was really nice. I love that. And that's the

00:09:09.649 --> 00:09:11.429
beauty of it, right? It can make those everyday

00:09:11.429 --> 00:09:13.490
things feel more enjoyable. Totally. It's like

00:09:13.490 --> 00:09:16.190
waking up to the world instead of like sleepwalking

00:09:16.190 --> 00:09:18.250
through it. Yeah. And the more you practice,

00:09:18.269 --> 00:09:20.990
the more it becomes just like a natural way of

00:09:20.990 --> 00:09:24.690
being. So to recap, this e -book really flips

00:09:24.690 --> 00:09:27.509
the script on what meditation is. It's not about

00:09:27.509 --> 00:09:29.970
emptying your mind. It's about befriending it.

00:09:30.110 --> 00:09:32.690
And you can practice in so many ways. Right,

00:09:32.769 --> 00:09:35.029
it's flexible. You can sit in silence or just

00:09:35.029 --> 00:09:37.309
bring more awareness to what you're already doing.

00:09:37.669 --> 00:09:41.269
And this time is irrelevant thing is making more

00:09:41.269 --> 00:09:43.950
sense now. It's not ignoring time, but changing

00:09:43.950 --> 00:09:46.590
how we see it. Yeah, I like that. Instead of

00:09:46.590 --> 00:09:48.909
feeling rushed and overwhelmed all the time,

00:09:49.450 --> 00:09:52.570
we can create space for these mindful moments.

00:09:53.149 --> 00:09:55.570
even when life's crazy. It's about realizing

00:09:55.570 --> 00:09:58.409
that we have more control over our experience

00:09:58.409 --> 00:10:01.679
of time than we think. Yeah. It's empowering,

00:10:02.100 --> 00:10:03.860
right? Totally. Like we're not just stuck on

00:10:03.860 --> 00:10:06.059
this hamster wheel. Right. I'm really starting

00:10:06.059 --> 00:10:10.299
to see the potential of this waking meditation.

00:10:10.519 --> 00:10:13.620
It feels so much less intimidating than like

00:10:13.620 --> 00:10:16.200
the classic image of meditation. And it's something

00:10:16.200 --> 00:10:18.299
I can actually see myself doing. I love that.

00:10:18.460 --> 00:10:21.059
And I think it really shows that, you know, meditation

00:10:21.059 --> 00:10:23.480
doesn't have to be this big, mysterious thing.

00:10:23.500 --> 00:10:26.240
Yeah. You know, it can be as simple as paying

00:10:26.240 --> 00:10:27.779
attention to your breath while you're waiting

00:10:27.779 --> 00:10:29.779
in line. Oh, yeah. Or noticing how your feet

00:10:29.779 --> 00:10:32.019
feel when you're walking. Those are great examples.

00:10:32.100 --> 00:10:35.139
Just little chances to, like, pause and reconnect,

00:10:35.639 --> 00:10:38.759
even for a sec. Exactly. And remember, even a

00:10:38.759 --> 00:10:41.059
few minutes, if you do it consistently, it can

00:10:41.059 --> 00:10:42.480
really make a difference. It's almost steps.

00:10:42.559 --> 00:10:45.039
It's a journey. It's not about, like, Reaching

00:10:45.039 --> 00:10:48.639
some end goal this deep dive has totally changed

00:10:48.639 --> 00:10:50.519
how I think about meditation. It's not a chore

00:10:50.519 --> 00:10:53.960
anymore It's more like an invitation. Oh, I like

00:10:53.960 --> 00:10:56.480
that to be more present more connected to what's

00:10:56.480 --> 00:10:58.620
happening right now Yeah, and that shift it's

00:10:58.620 --> 00:11:01.179
so powerful because it opens up all these possibilities

00:11:01.179 --> 00:11:04.659
like it becomes less about reaching some specific

00:11:04.659 --> 00:11:07.909
state of mind right and more about just how you

00:11:07.909 --> 00:11:10.409
are in the world. It's about bringing more awareness

00:11:10.409 --> 00:11:14.490
to everything, more intention, more joy, even

00:11:14.490 --> 00:11:18.190
the simple stuff. Beautifully said. So building

00:11:18.190 --> 00:11:20.029
on that, here's something for you to think about.

00:11:20.149 --> 00:11:22.409
What's one everyday thing you could be more mindful

00:11:22.409 --> 00:11:26.590
of this week? Maybe it's your commute, your lunch

00:11:26.590 --> 00:11:29.230
break, even brushing your teeth. Right. See what

00:11:29.230 --> 00:11:31.429
happens when you shift from just doing something

00:11:31.429 --> 00:11:34.460
to really being present while you do it. I love

00:11:34.460 --> 00:11:36.320
that. We'll put links to that ebook in the show

00:11:36.320 --> 00:11:38.559
notes if you want to check it out. Awesome. And

00:11:38.559 --> 00:11:41.059
remember, meditation's a journey. Don't get discouraged

00:11:41.059 --> 00:11:42.879
if you feel like you're not getting it right

00:11:42.879 --> 00:11:45.440
away. Even baby steps can lead to big changes.

00:11:46.080 --> 00:11:48.860
Exactly. Until next time, keep diving deep and

00:11:48.860 --> 00:11:49.220
be well.