You don't meditate? Come on now, You can do better

You don’t meditate? Why not? You usually have better judgment.

“If a pharmaceutical company developed a medicine akin to meditation–providing such broad health benefits with so few side effects–it would probably be treated like fluoride and placed in the nation’s water supply…’
Thomas Rutledge
Psychology Today

No joke. Benefits from a meditation routine are that clear, and they’re easy to find.

In fact, the benefits are so clear and free, it changes the question from “Do you…?” to “Why don’t you…?”

Meditation articles are usually written in a general way, but as a 15-year daily meditator, I can give you some specifics.

My practice includes meditation mini-breaks learned from a book, Meditation in a New York Minute: Super Calm for the Super Busy. Mark Thornton taught me to grab some calm on the fly.

And I was super busy, starting a new sales job against world-class competition in New York City. My boss preached that winners keep working while everyone else sits back. Summers, especially.

Todd wasn’t an extreme “Lunch is for losers” kind of guy, but he was in the ballpark. He was also right. Only action ever wins. It can lose too, but at least, you’ve got a chance.

I meditated at the curb, waiting for traffic to clear, many times, but my most successful non-action involved mindfulness while cooling my heels in law firm lobbies, waiting for critical meetings to start.

Time is an extreme New York City value. They make you wait because it shows strength, but I turned the tables.

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I powered up with mindfulness, and the positive results were tangible. Tangible, that is, in cash.

Time spent waiting was consumed with mindfulness meditation. I traded in irritation for a calming joy ride.

I earned more in those years than all the others combined, and much of it came from relying on meditation.

You don’t meditate? Back to the general.

According to this research, meditation is associated with improvements in many important health conditions: depression and post traumatic stress, hypertension and other cardiovascular diseases, and even favorable changes in biological processes such as inflammation, immune system functioning, and cellular aging.
Thomas Rutledge
Psychology Today

So, why not?

Despite overwhelming benefits, fewer than one out of five American adults meditates. Some, stuck in rigid thinking, find it weird.

Some of the same people don’t think it’s at all strange to sit like a slug in front of a television for hours, doing nothing. Or to eat junk because it makes them happy.

Weird, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. Change your mind, loosen up, and you change your life.

The best excuse I ever heard for not meditating was shared by my friend Iris. When she meditated, she fell asleep.

That’s fine, as long as you’re not in a car or don’t miss your bus or subway stop. But it also exposes the best reason to meditate: You’re exhausted, and you’re too distracted to know it.

The worst excuse: “I don’t have time.”

That’s terrible because you make time for all sorts of wasteful activities. A rewarding meditation practice takes up less than a half-hour each day. The average television series demands more.

But you find time for TV, don’t you?

How many minutes are gobbled up with trivial texts and emails sent and received out of boredom or loneliness?

Conclusion: Meditate and recognize your own personal benefits

Like hairlines and fingerprints, meditation is different for everyone. Do your own thing. There’s never a better time.

Almost everyone gains from learning to regulate your breath. It’s more calming than a prescription sedative and hell of a lot less dangerous.

Another big bonus is discovering the motives behind your behavior.

Emotionally, you learn to drive with your eyes open for a change.

Before you go, let me offer you one last goodie: 4 Ways Meditation Will improve Your Brain. It’s from Valet, and it gives you enough good reasons to meditate, you may not need any others.

Good luck and happy sailing on the seas of mindfulness.