Today I’m going to share one of my favorite meditation techniques. If you’re unfamiliar with meditation, please click here for an introduction on the subject.

This past summer, while attending a Vipassana Meditation course, I learned the meditation ‘Metta Bhavana’. In English, this roughly translates to ‘loving kindness cultivation’, and it delivers exactly what it promises.

This is one of my favorite meditations because it has immediate short term benefits and tremendous long term benefits. Oh, and did I mention, it only takes up 5-10 minutes of my time each day?

Incorporate this meditation into your daily routine, and I guarantee that you will experience a noticeable expansion in your capacity to Love. The reason I’ve capitalized the letter L in the word love is because this meditation technique will cultivate your capacity to experience unconditional love, a state of being, rather than the traditional surface-level feeling we’re all so familiar with.

Benefits After 6 Months of Practice

I’ve been performing this meditation technique consistently over the past 6 months, and I can honestly say it’s made a tremendous impact on my life. Here are some of the improvements I’ve noticed:

• A noticeable decrease in my judgmentalism towards my fellow human beings (one of my biggest flaws)
• A noticeable increase in my levels of acceptance, compassion, and understanding towards my fellow human beings
• Improvement in my ability to empathize with others (as an ENTP, this has been an area of weakness my entire life)
• An overall increase in Joyful experiences
• A decrease in my overall level of fear in unfamiliar social situations
• The ability to channel deep feelings of Love to improve my mood whenever I’m feeling down
• An increased capacity to accept others as they are (has helped me deal with criticism, and stop wasting my mental energy)
• An increase in my capacity to Love

I’m sure there are many additional benefits I’ll experience as I continue my practice of Metta Bhavana. I predict the improvements listed above will gain even more power, and the internal changes I make will become more visible in my external reality over time.

How to Practice Loving-Kindness Meditation

Note: Before I lay out the steps to this meditation exercise, an important point must be made. Only perform this meditation exercise if you are in a calm, peaceful state of mind. If you’re agitated, stressed out, angry, or experiencing any other type of negative energy, DO NOT perform this exercise. Do it later once you’ve calmed down. The purpose of this exercise is to send out powerful, positive, loving vibrations, and this is only possible if you are in a peaceful state of mind.

Finally, the good stuff!

The list below is a step-by-step outline to properly practicing Metta Bhavana meditation. Follow each of these steps in order to extract the maximum benefit from your meditation.

1. Sit on the ground in a comfortable position (lotus position isn’t necessary, but is optimal) with your back straight. I’ve found that sitting on two pillows makes meditation MUCH more comfortable, so try that out if you’re finding it too painful.
2. Close your eyes. Relax your entire body. Let go of any unnecessary tension in your muscles, and stop thinking about whatever it is you’re thinking about. Allow your mind to drift to wherever it likes for a minute or so.
3. Next, focus completely on the inhalation and exhalation of your breath for 1 minute. This isn’t a breath control exercise, so don’t attempt to change your breath in any way. Just observe the natural inflow and outflow of your breath as it is.
4. Now, recite in your mind “May I be happy. May I be peaceful. May I be free from misery, animosity, judgment, and negativity.” Pause between each statement, and feel the power of what you’ve just recited. Absorb yourself in feelings of happiness, peace, and Love. I like to imagine an immense amount of Love energy flowing into my body from my external environment while doing this step of the exercise.
5. Next, recite in your mind, “May all beings be happy. May all beings be peaceful. May all beings be free from misery, animosity, judgment, and negativity.” Once again, pause between each statement and feel the power of what you’ve just recited. When I do this, I imagine the faces of as many people as I possibly can, and I send each person a powerful intention of Love. I send this intention by imagining my Love as a tremendous wave of energy flowing out of my abdominal area. Repeat this process 3-4 times.
6. Next, recite in your mind, “May all beings share in my merits, good deeds, compassion, kindness, positive energy, patience, generosity, and Love.” Keep emitting powerful waves of Love energy while reciting this statement in your mind.
7. Finally, recite in your mind, “May all beings I have hurt in the past forgive me for doing so. May I also forgive all beings who have hurt me in the past.” This is my favorite step of the exercise, because I almost always experience an immediate and substantial release of negative energy. I try to pull up the images of the people that I have hurt and who have hurt me, and I imagine us hugging and getting along with one another. I feel the Loving connection we now share between us.
8. Open your eyes. You’re done!

While this entire process only takes between 5-10 minutes, the benefits will usually last the entire day. To ensure you get the most out of this meditation, allow yourself to become completely absorbed in the powerful intentions of Love you experience while performing the exercise. The more powerful the intentions, the more beneficial you’ll find the exercise to be.

At first you may find it difficult to cultivate a powerful feeling of Love within your body, but over time and with practice you’ll develop your own way to quickly summon this powerful energy from within. Don’t get discouraged. Keep at it!

Parting Words

Unconditional Love is incredibly powerful indeed. It can permanently change your life for the better, and once you’ve had a taste of Love, all other feelings and emotions will pale in comparison.

Incorporate this meditative practice into your daily routine, and you will experience a profound positive shift in your personality, perspective, and overall experience of reality. As you cultivate your capacity to Love unconditionally, you’ll begin to realize that the more you Love, the more you can Love. This is the surest path to becoming a better human being.

I’ll be sure to include all of you in my daily Metta Bhavana meditation, and my only request is that you do the same for me!

May all beings be happy.

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I didn’t realize this when the course had completed because there was so much information floating around in my head, but now that most of that has quieted down I can view the experience objectively. This post may be a bit long because it’s meant to serve as a review of the course. Please bear with me!

Some Background Information

Not only did I learn a wonderful technique over the course of 10 days. I learned Dhamma, the art of living, as taught by the Buddha. Although Vipassana is a technique developed by the Buddha, it is completely non-sectarian, non-religious, and universal. Anyone can utilize the practical application of the technique, and anyone can expect to obtain the same universal benefits.

At my course there was an array of blacks, whites, asians, indians, Christians, Hindus, Muslims, etc. The purpose of Vipassana is to transmit experiential knowledge of Truth by giving you the opportunity to directly experience Truth within the framework of your body. As you can imagine, this is powerful stuff that can change lives.

The course is taught with a series of audio and video cassette tapes of S.N. Goenka, the primary teacher of the materials. Along with Goenka, there is one male and one female assistant teacher assigned to the course. They are there to clarify any confusion students may have, and to guide the progress of the course.

Arrival

When I first arrived at the course, I was nervous and didn’t know what to expect. Were the people going to be friendly, loving, and compassionate as I expected them to be? Was it going to be a cult-like gathering with a bunch of people wearing loin cloths and sporting thick unkempt beards?

I was pleasantly surprised when I walked into a registration room full of normal looking people, and was greeted by a nice lady. I filled out a “New Student Form,” was given a room number, and was asked to go and settle into my room. This is also when I gave the lady all of my valuable personal belongings, such as my phone, wallet, and car keys (so I couldn’t escape later).

I proceeded to my room, and there was already a gathering of students in the hallway. I got a chance to meet most of them, and I noticed that these weren’t ordinary people. These were exceptional people. They were very open minded, and many of them had done some really cool things (running marathons, traveling the world, attending personal development seminars, etc). I was savoring my right to talk, because this was the last talking I would be doing for the next 10 days.

After our hour long chat session, we made our way to the male dining hall where the course orientation was being held. At the orientation we were told the rules of the facility, and the rules of the program in general. There were certain course boundaries we were not supposed to cross for our own protection (this place was in the middle of nowhere and there was known to be dangerous wildlife abound). Also, there were male and female boundaries to prevent us from interacting with the opposite sex. This made sense because that sort of interaction would create a huge distraction in our meditation endeavors. At this time we were also informed of the daily timetable, and were told that if we wanted to get the maximum benefit out of the course we were to adhere to the timetable strictly.

Daily Timetable

Wake up bell: 4:00am
Meditate in the hall or in your room: 4:30-6:30am
Final group meditation in the hall: 8:15-9:00pm
Breakfast and rest: 6:30-8:00am
Group meditation in the hall: 8:00-9:00am
Meditate in the hall or in your room: 9:00-11:00am
Lunch and rest: 11:00-1:00pm
Meditate in the hall or in your room: 1:00-2:30pm
Group meditation in the hall: 2:30-3:30pm
Meditate in the hall or in your room: 3:30-5:00pm
Tea break: 5:00-6:00pm
Group meditation in the hall: 6:00-7:00pm
Evening discourse: 7:00-8:15pm
Final group meditation: 8:15-9:00pm
Lights out: 9:30pm

As you can see, there’s a TON of meditation and not much time for anything else. I was already aware of the schedule before arriving, so I wasn’t surprised. But some of the other students had a look of “what the hell have I gotten myself into?” on their face. After all of the instructions were given, we made our way to the meditation hall, and as soon as we stepped inside, the silence for the course began.

Meditation instructions were given at this first meditation. I remember sitting and thinking, “easy enough!” Since the orientation took up so much time, our evening meditation only lasted for about 30 minutes. After this we were dismissed and had 30 minutes to get ready for bed. I wasn’t used to going to bed at 9:30, so I didn’t fall asleep until about midnight. Almost as soon as I fell asleep, I was abruptly woken up by the morning bell at 4:00am. I thought to myself, “oh %&#$, this is going to be terrible!”

My Daily Experience

The first day was extremely intense. No one is used to meditating for 11 hours a day (unless you’re a monk, then it’s a breeze), so my body was constantly having to make adjustments. My body wasn’t too happy with the adjustments it was having to make, so it gave me a hard time. As the days passed it became more cooperative, and I was able to obtain some incredible results by the end of the course.

I followed the daily timetable scrupulously, observed all of the rules to the tee, and made full use of the theoretical information transmitted in the daily evening discourse. If you plan on attending the course, make sure you do the same so you can obtain the best results possible in the short 10 day period.

The only time I broke silence was to talk with an assistant teacher. At noon, students are allowed to set up an interview, and are permitted to quietly as the teacher any questions they have about the teachings. This was highly beneficial for me, because there were many theoretical aspects of the technique I didn’t understand and I wanted to clear some things up. The teacher was very knowledgeable, as he had been practicing Vipassana for 35 years! I found that understanding why everything works the way it does helped me obtain better results from the practical application of the technique. In the end I realized how wonderful the system really is.

The Verdict

I won’t go into details about the technique because I’m nowhere near qualified enough to teach it, and i don’t want to give anyone the wrong idea. I will, however, comment on the quality of the teaching and the effectiveness of the program design.

Over the years, hundreds of thousands of people have attended a Vipassana meditation camp, just like me. And over those years the people who designed the program have constantly worked to perfect it so that students can obtain even better results. My experience was nearly flawless, and everything I was told I would obtain by the end of the course I obtained.

I have to give the Vipassana Academy credit for creating such a fine tuned, effective method to alleviate the human race of its pains and miseries. I can confidently say that every student who signs up for a 10 day program will obtain tangible results at the end of the course if they give the technique a fair trial by observing all the rules and recommendations.

Here are some of the benefits I received by attending the course:

• Freedom from pain and misery, and the ability to prevent myself from causing any future pain or misery in my life
• The ability to maintain a balanced mind in ANY situation, regardless of how great or how bad it may be
• Strong compassion for my fellow beings, human or otherwise. So much so that I’m now a vegetarian (and I was a hardcore meat eater before the course began)
• Stopped drinking alcohol
• The ability to apply an intense focus to any task I wish to accomplish
• The discipline to follow through with any task I wish to accomplish
• A better understanding of Truth as it applies to the nature of our reality, and the nature of our being
• The confidence one gains when he/she accomplishes something momentous (it feels like I just finished climbing Everest)

In the short period of 10 days I somehow managed to acquire all of these benefits, and many of the other students are able to say the same (I know because I talked to them after the course.) I strongly recommend that everyone take a course because I know it will be life-changing for any individual.

If you do decide to go, make the commitment to yourself to stay for the entire 10 days no matter what. A few students left in the middle of the course, and I’m sure they all regret it now. If you ever find yourself questioning some of the practices during the middle of the course, be patient. I assure you by the end you will understand exactly why everything is set up the way it is.

All in all, I can’t recommend the course strongly enough. I believe every human being should give it a try and see for himself/herself how much this technique can improve his/her life. If you’re closed minded to the idea of taking a chance with a 10 day course, remember, it’s only 10 days. After that you’re your own master once again, but now with a new experience under your belt.

Also, Vipassana meditation is non-sectarian, non-religious, and universal. No one will try to convert you, and you won’t be subjected to any sort of sequestration or indoctrination. With that in mind, give it a try! See for yourself what all the buzz is about. I assure you in the end you’ll be glad you gave Vipassana a chance.

If you have any specific questions at all regarding the course, don’t hesitate to contact me. Also, if you’re interested in learning more about the course, please check out http://www.dhamma.org

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One month ago, on a random Sunday, I was sitting at my desk as usual writing an article for this site. That night I wasn’t thinking clearly, and words weren’t coming to me easily.

This frustrated me.

Somewhere in the midst of my frustration, I got up, threw on a sweater and walked out of my apartment. I didn’t know where I was headed, but I knew I was going for a nice, long walk.

Prior to this Sunday, I had never taken a random walk like this before. Acting on my impulse turned out to be one of the greatest decisions I’ve ever made in my life. I’ve since found a place of refuge in nature that I can access simply by stopping what I’m doing, and heading out the door.

If you’ve never taken a walk before, you’re missing out on something great. But before you decide to walk out of your door right now, here are a few tips to help you get the most out of your walks.

Absorb Yourself in Nature

In order for your walks to be truly beneficial, you must allow the wonder of nature to work for you. Allow yourself to get fully absorbed in the present moment as you take your walk. Many people take walks, and then completely ignore the nature around them because they are so caught up with the thoughts running around in their heads.

That makes perfect sense…

I’ll admit, I was one of these people when I first started taking walks. On my first night, I figured I would go outside, think about what I needed to write about, and the walk would have served its purpose. Instead, I found this to be as frustrating and stressful as sitting in my room, staring at my computer screen. I might as well have stayed at home.

The value of a walk is proportionate to our ability to allow ourselves to become fully absorbed in the wonder of nature around us. While you’re walking, drift into the present moment by focusing on everything in your environment. I love to listen to the trees rustle in the wind, and look up at the stars. I also love taking walks at night. There’s something about the dark that makes nature much more enchanting. No matter what your personal preference, the most important thing is to let yourself get lost in nature while you take your walks.

The Benefits

For each person, the benefits of taking a walk will be different. Some people may experience peace and serenity while they walk, while others may have an invigorating experience. Walking may become your refuge from the stresses of daily life, or it could become your source of creative brilliance.

No matter what the specific benefits, taking a walk will help you become a more grateful individual. As you take notice of the beauty that surrounds you, you will develop a deeper sense of appreciation for the gift of nature. This is one of the best ways to make gratitude a permanent state of your being.

The Next Step

The next time you’re feeling frustrated or stressed out, take a walk. While you’re on your walk, allow yourself to become fully absorbed in the present moment. Observe the grandeur of the nature that surrounds you. At first you may experience some difficulty ridding your mind of thought, but over time it will become easier to maintain your focus. As you become more accustomed to this process, you will develop a deeper appreciation for the gift of nature. Continue down this path, and gratitude is sure to become your permanent state of being.

Have any additional tips, comments or suggestions? Please leave them in the comments section below. I’m interested in hearing what you have to say!

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As I was eating my cereal this morning, I started pondering an interesting question.

Is there a way to lead a totally stress free life?

I’m the kind of guy that’s always looking for a way to lead a more relaxed, easygoing, and enjoyable life. Stress throws a monkey wrench in the mix, and stands in the way of my attempts to achieve this lifestyle.

Stress is our bodies’ natural response to not living in the present moment. Whenever we worry about the past or the future and fight the present moment, we feel stressed out. The key to relieving ourselves from stress is to become fully absorbed in the present moment.

Here are a few methods I use to help reduce the stress of the day-to-day grind.

1. Be present: Whenever you’re feeling stressed out, take a minute or two to completely absorb yourself in the present moment. Pay close attention to all five of your senses, and focus on the stimulus your body is taking in. How does the seat you’re sitting on feel? Is it cold or warm in the room? Notice all of the colors around the room. Notice every sound in your environment. What do you smell? How would you describe the taste in your mouth? Allowing yourself to be absorbed in the present moment is one of the most relaxing things you can do, even if for only a few minutes, because it silences the chatterbox in your mind.
2. Meditate: This is the same idea as being present, except I like to think of it as for an extended period of time, although it doesn’t have to be. I normally take 30 minutes in the morning to meditate. It gradually alleviates any stress I’m feeling at the time. See my article ‘Introduction to Meditation’ if you’re unfamiliar with the concept of meditation. Once you begin meditating, be patient. It’s a skill which takes a lifetime to master, but it’s a journey like any other activity you take up. Each step along the way is rewarding, and as you progress, new doors will open for you. At first you may experience only relaxation, but as you get better at meditation, it may transform into a spiritual endeavor that is a significant source of joy in your life.
3. Do work that you love: This is a major point. If you’re spending 8 hours a day doing work that you don’t love for the sake of paying the bills, your life is bound to be stressful. Every day will be a drag, and you’ll never be able to relax. I know this is tough to chew on, but if you’re currently working a job you don’t love you’ve got to make some changes. The only way you will ever be able to lead a stress free life is to do work that you love.
4. Leisure time: Set aside time for leisurely activities. I know, I know, everyone is so focused on productivity these days, and engaging in leisurely activities can be seen as “wasteful.” However, leisure time is critical to productivity in that it keeps you from burning out. Many motivation, productivity, and success gurus call this process “sharpening the saw” because of its rejuvenating qualities. Working and being “productive” all the time can be highly stressful. Spend time with family, go out to a movie, take a long walk, go swimming, do anything to escape the hustle and bustle of daily life. And while you’re doing it, focus your complete attention on the activity at hand. Become fully absorbed in whatever it is you’re doing. You deserve the break. What you’ll find is you are much more relaxed after taking some time off to sharpen your saw, and you’ll be more productive while doing your work.
5. Acceptance: Often times we are stressed out by circumstances in our external environment that are outside of our control. Whenever you find yourself stressed out in response to your current situation, realize that you’re not accepting things for what they are. Don’t fight against the present moment; it is what it is. The more you fight it, the more stressed out you will become. Read my article ‘How to Stop Wasting your Mental Energy’ for some useful tips on how to accept the present moment as it is.

Achieving Permanence

Our end goal is to be in a state of present moment awareness permanently. In this ideal state of mind, we will be completely free of stress. I’ve by no means reached this state of mind, but it is one of my ultimate long term goals.

As I make progress, I’m sure I will identify more methods to alleviate my stress, and when I do you can be sure I’ll share it with my readers! Please share any of your own stress-relief tips in the comments section below. I’m interested to read what you have to say.

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“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.”

- Winston Churchill

Are you the kind of person that loves to give something to each person you meet?

By “something” I don’t necessarily mean a material gift. You may give them a compliment, bless them with a prayer, or wish them well.

If so, then I’m assuming you’re someone who receives much of the same in return, and you’re living a life of true abundance.

Dynamic Exchange

At all levels of life, we can observe the process of giving and receiving. It’s a dynamic exchange that must exist in order for life to perpetuate itself. Everything at the most basic level is engaged in giving and receiving. Energy is given, energy is received. When studying the human body we see this dynamic exchange in action once again. One type of cell may require the assistance of another type of cell in our body, and in turn the helped cell will provide a different service back to the cell that just helped it out. This is a critical process, and without it, life would cease to exist.

If giving and receiving is such a fundamental part of life itself, then the same law must also apply to our interpersonal interaction. If we wish to receive, we must first give to others. The more we give, the more we will receive.

If you’re someone who doesn’t have the financial means to give a lot, don’t freak and start thinking you’re doomed for the rest of your life. Giving doesn’t require you to shower everyone you meet with material gifts; it just requires that you give from your heart with sincerity. The next time you go over to a friend’s house, or run into someone while walking down the street, pay him or her a sincere compliment. If that’s too much, silently wish him or her will in your mind.

In order to reap the benefits of giving and receiving, you must enjoy the act of giving. If you give for the sake of receiving, that’s no good. You must take pleasure in the act of giving itself. Sincerity is the key catalyst in this dynamic exchange.

Giving Creates Abundance

Abundance begins with the proper mindset. When you give, what you’re telling your subconscious mind is, “I am experiencing abundance; so much so that I can give something to every single person I meet.” By communicating this message repeatedly to your subconscious mind, you subtly transform into a new human being. Your thoughts, choices, and actions will be influenced by this new mindset of abundance. It’s only a matter of time before you start attracting your deepest desires into your reality.

Nature abhors a vacuum. I’ve heard this phrase from many different self-development gurus, and I’m coming to understand what they mean by it. There’s no better way to communicate your faith in abundance to the universe than to give away that which you no longer need. Whenever you give away something, you make space for something new. Nature quickly fills this gap with something bigger and better than you had before. Don’t believe me? Try emptying out your closet. It won’t be long before all of the clothes you gave away are replaced with new clothes you will enjoy and use for a long time.

By giving something to each person you meet, you are creating a significant amount of good karma in your life. The law of karma states that the actions you take in each moment add up to your results in the future. If you’re constantly giving on a daily basis, you can be sure the life you’re creating for yourself in the future is a great one.

How to Receive

Remember, we’re talking about giving and receiving here. One can’t exist without the other. When you give, it’s absolutely critical that you allow yourself to receive also. When it’s your time to receive, receive with open arms. Accept the material gifts, prayers, and blessings people send your way cheerfully and gratefully. Understand that you are receiving because you have been sincerely giving. You deserve it!

I know many people who give willingly, but have a huge problem with receiving. I think it’s because they’ve been programmed to believe that receiving is a bad thing. If you’re one of these people, realize that giving and receiving must go together. It’s a dynamic exchange, a flow if you will, where both parts must exist in order for the process to work. If you cut off either end of the process, you begin to constrict the flow of good things into your life and into the lives of others. Don’t let this happen. Choose to receive with open arms, and be grateful for everything that comes your way. By doing so, you keep the dynamic flow in motion.

Where You Can Begin

There are many places you can immediately put the Law of Giving into practice. A great starting place is your family. Think about how much your mother and father have given you over the course of your lifetime. You have received many benefits, but how much have you given back? If you’ve been taking these blessings for granted, it’s time to make some drastic changes. Perhaps you can begin by learning how to express true gratitude, and in time you will be able to reciprocate all that you have received from your family.

Your friendships are another great place where you can begin to put the Law of Giving into action. By putting this law into action, over time you will enjoy much stronger relationships. If you haven’t done so already, read my article ‘Form Strong Relationships by Having More to Offer’. It goes in-depth on this topic.

Start Right Away

Make a conscious effort to give something to everyone and anyone you meet. It’s not what you give, but how you give it. You can give the person a flower, a compliment, or a blessing. These things don’t cost money, but they are significant as long as they are given from the heart. Remember, giving should always be an enjoyable experience. If you feel as though you’ve lost something in the process, then it’s not true giving.

If this article has made you aware of the fact that you’re not much of a giver, then you’ve got something to work on! Start giving right away, and get this powerful law working for you in your life. The more you give, the more you will receive. When it’s your turn to receive, choose to be grateful for everything coming your way, and accept it with open arms. By giving and receiving, you perpetuate the dynamic flow of good things into your life, and into the lives of everyone you come into contact with. The natural result is true abundance.

Cheers to that!

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“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.”

- John F. Kennedy

Would you consider yourself to be a truly grateful person?

Are you a rare person that appreciates everything (good or bad) in your life, and takes no moment for granted?

If so, you can stop reading now. If not (the majority of us), please continue reading.

Focus on What You DO Have

Each day we awaken to a world of infinite possibility. We can spend our days any way we please, and we take full advantage of this right. We indulge by eating wonderful food, driving luxurious cars (if you don’t think your 1996 Corolla is luxurious, compare it to what the rest of the world drives), spending time with our loved ones, and engaging in many entertaining activities each day.

But somewhere along the line we began taking this right for granted. As a result, we’ve stopped smelling the roses along the way of our journey through life. I can’t count the number of times I’ve come across someone who has so many things in their life to be grateful for, but instead, he or she focuses on the things he or she does not have in his or her life.

When we begin to focus on the things we don’t have, we lose sight of all the gifts we have been blessed with.  Our ingratitude then transforms itself into greed, lust, or even worse, misery.

My Experience

Gratitude is a value I’ve been struggling to incorporate into my life for a long time now. At times, I’ve been reckless with my behavior, and have had no consideration for anything in my environment. I lacked appreciation for all that I was blessed with, and my actions overwhelmingly showed it. Perhaps this is a phase everyone passes through growing up, but I believe I’ve had it worse than most.

I’ve come a long way over the past two years.  I can attribute part of this growth to the natural maturation process. However, just as much of this growth is a result of my adoption of new paradigms. Consequently, I’ve started viewing gratitude as a way of life, rather than as something to be focused on momentarily. This perception has drastically improved the quality of my life on a day-to-day basis. Each day is a joyous occasion, regardless of if something horrible happens, or it’s the most fortunate day of my life.

Although it took me over two years to reach this point in my development, it certainly won’t take you as long. Commit to taking a few simple actions each day, and gratitude will become a way of life for you too.

Surface-level Gratitude

Most human beings view gratitude as a momentary interruption in their thought process.

Before we sleep, we thank God for all of the good things we have in our life. Often times we complement this thanks with a request for more “stuff”. If we are truly grateful for what we already have, why the hell are we asking for even more things?

Other times, it occurs to us that we’re being so ungrateful, that we have no choice but to remind ourselves to be grateful. We realize that we were wrong in taking things for granted, and we proclaim confidently that we’ll never let it happen again. The next day, to our dismay, we’re back at square one, taking things for granted like never before! I’ve gone through this process a countless number of times.

In both examples above, we’re paying attention to something called “surface-level gratitude.” We are attempting to be grateful for specific things (material and beyond) in our life (money, relationships, success). If we were to translate this type of gratitude into words, it would look something like this:

• I am grateful for my relationships
• I am grateful for my health
• I am grateful for my success
• I am grateful for my income
• I am grateful for food and shelter

When we forget to be grateful, these are the affirmations we recite to ourselves. This makes us feel better temporarily, and deludes us into thinking we’re being truly grateful. Life goes on, and so does this circular thought process.

There is absolutely no true fulfillment to be obtained by viewing gratitude with this perspective. In order to experience true gratitude, we must carry it permanently with us everywhere we go.

Gratitude must become a way of life.

A New Way of Life

All of us have so many things to be grateful for. It doesn’t matter if you’re tremendously successful, or if you’re miserably poor. There are certain things we as human beings share in common at a basic level.  When we are grateful for these fundamental gifts, we experience a much deeper level of gratitude, “true gratitude”. If we learn to get in touch with it, each and every one of us can experience a more joyous, fulfilling, appreciative life.

Be grateful for the following:

• All of us have been given the gift of life
• All of us have been given the gift of nature
• All of us have been given the gift of the mind
• All of us have been given the gift of a wondrous, supportive universe

Once we internalize these truths, we can then experience a gratitude for existence itself. Everywhere we go, we will carry this gratitude with us. Each day we will wake up feeling grateful for the day ahead of us, regardless of our present circumstances.

If we truly appreciate the gift of life, for example, anything that comes our way will be viewed as a joyous experience. The next time someone treats us the wrong way, we will be grateful for the experience. The next time we are feeling sad, we will be grateful for the experience. The next time we feel tremendously successful, we will be grateful for the experience. Good or bad, we will understand that all experiences are a byproduct of life itself, and that they all contribute to our overall experience of this life.

Making the Transition

To shift our paradigm from one of “surface-level gratitude” to one of “true gratitude” we must learn to express gratitude for everything in our reality. The best way to do this is to focus your gratitude on things that you would never thought you would be grateful for. For example, if I’m taking a shower, I will say to myself, “I am grateful for the shiny metal on the shower head.”

Whenever something overwhelmingly negative is happening in your life, take a step back, and be grateful for it. Not only because it is an experience that will undoubtedly contribute to your growth, but also because it is another one of those byproducts of life itself.

Yes, I know it sounds ridiculous. However, if you do this often enough, soon what you’ll find is that you’ll no longer be saying, “I’m grateful for x.” Instead, you will simply say “I’m grateful.” The gratitude you are feeling every day by focusing your attention on seemingly unimportant things will carry over to all areas of your life. It will slowly become a permanent, all encompassing expression of being.

Do Not Utter Words, Live By Them

Making the shift to “true gratitude” is by far one of the most empowering paradigm shifts I’ve made in my lifetime. Although I know I haven’t completed the transition process completely yet, the progress I have made thus far has contributed to an enhanced experience of life itself.

Each day is joyous. Each day is a gift.

Commit to focusing your gratitude on anything and everything in your reality, and you will soon find that this gratitude has become a permanent state of being. You will no longer feel grateful, you will be grateful. You will no longer utter words of gratitude to yourself; you will live by them, as JFK once said. And in doing so, your life will be full of joy, fulfillment, and appreciation.

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“You need not leave your room. Remain sitting at your table and listen. You need not even listen, simply wait. You need not even wait; just learn to become quiet, and still, and solitary. The world will freely offer itself to you to be unmasked. It has no choice; it will roll in ecstasy at your feet.”

- Franz Kafka

What if I were to tell you that you could learn how to make the right decision in every single situation, every single time? Would you believe me? Would you think I’m crazy?

Actually, you don’t have to learn how to make the right decision every time, you already know how.

Now you must really think I’m crazy.

You Already Have Everything You Need

Each one of us has been blessed with an internal compass that lets us know whether or not we are about to make the right decision in any situation. I like to call this compass “universal intuition.”

This “universal intuition” quickly takes into account all of the factors and outcomes involved with a certain decision, computes it in the universal super-computer, and quickly gives us feedback in the form of a feeling within our bodies.

This speedy wisdom comes from within us, but is not exactly human. It’s a wisdom that is in touch with the universe at large. It understands how a decision we make reverberates throughout the universe, and the effect it will have in the grand scheme of things.

The longer we choose to act in violation of our “universal intuition,” the longer we will be dissatisfied with our results in life. Every time we choose to disobey the universe’s wisdom, we are choosing to pit ourselves against the entire force of the universe. No longer will it be working for us, instead it will begin to work against us.

Talk about an uphill battle! It’s no wonder most people are unhappy with their lives.

What is Universal Intuition?

If we wish to gain the cooperation of “universal intuition,” we must learn to accept its advice. It has been present inside of us since we were born, but as we’ve grown up we’ve been conditioned to ignore it. We’ve been taught to use our “heads” to think through things, and to be rational. All of this has put us out of touch with universal intuition.

Often times, this drives us crazy. We can think, and think, and think through a decision, but most of the time we’ll come up with nothing. When I was deciding whether or not to drop out of college, I thought about it for nearly a year before I realized “thinking” was driving me nuts, and was ultimately futile.

I finally decided to stop thinking, and start feeling. It was so simple, yet so profound. As soon as I acknowledged the feeling associated with each of my options, I achieved incredible clarity. The right choice had been right underneath my nose all along.

I was so miserable in school, and the universe had been telling me so for an entire year. During that year I continued to fight this wisdom, and school progressively became more draining and more tedious day by day. Once I made the decision to drop out, I experienced an immediate and substantial release of tension. It felt like everything was right again.

Our huge brains are double-edged swords. They are miraculous in that they give us access to so much raw thinking power, but they are a hindrance in that they put us out of touch with our hearts (universal intuition). When our hearts are trying to tell us something, our thoughts cloud our minds and often times cause us to make wrong and painful decisions.

How to Listen to Universal Intuition

Listening to universal intuition is only as hard as we choose to make it. The more we deny its existence, and the more we choose to let our thoughts dominate our decision making process, the harder life will be.

Life is not meant to be excessively hard. Life is not meant to be overwhelmingly draining.

Life is meant to be enjoyable. Life is meant to be invigorating.

The next time you face a tough decision, sit down in a quiet place and clear your mind. Rid yourself of the conflicting thoughts racing around inside of your head. Be still. Try to feel the wisdom of the universe by your side. This feeling may be extremely faint, but you’ll find that it’s always there, pointing you in the right direction.

It may be telling you yes, or no. It may be saying stop, or go. It may be telling you that you need to quit your job, or that you need to end your unsatisfactory relationship of 5 years. It may be telling you the business you are trying to get started doesn’t truly stir your passion, and that you need to pursue something else. It may manifest itself as a feeling of discomfort, advising you not to make a certain decision. Or it may manifest itself as a feeling of comfort, advising you to make a certain decision.

Acknowledge this feeling, and understand that when you listen to it, you cannot make the wrong decision. Have faith that something more powerful than you can understand is working for you behind the scenes. Choose to act in accordance with this universal wisdom, and the entire universe will have no choice but to roll in ecstasy at your feet.

It’s that simple.

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If you’re looking for a healthy escape from the hustle and bustle of your daily routine, then meditation is just what you need. Regardless of where you are in life (student, executive, full-time parent), meditation will help ease your mind, increase your self-awareness, and develop your appreciation for the present moment.

I began my meditation practices this summer in martial arts. At the time, I had no experience whatsoever in meditation, just the knowledge that it was supposedly very helpful. I still remember the first time we performed meditation in class.

My First Meditation Session

After a grueling morning class, which almost made me pass out, my instructor turned off the lights, and turned on music that sounded like it was straight from the monks in the Himalayas. He then instructed us to close our eyes, sit up straight, and breathe normally. We were to focus on the ins and outs of our breath, and focus on the flow of air in and out of our nostrils. If thoughts popped into our head, we were instructed to let them go, and regain focus on our breathing.

I remember thinking, “How is this going to work?” My question was quickly answered when I felt an almost immediate relaxation of my body and mind. It was an interesting experience, to say in the least. I could feel my heartbeat reverberating through my body, and I was slowly gaining a feeling of lightness.

Keep in mind this was right after an intense workout session in class. My body was tense, and my mind was cluttered with what I had just learned. “This stuff is powerful,” I thought to myself. I definitely wanted to experience more of it.

5 Months Later

It’s been 5 months since that day, and I’ve continued my meditation practices ever since. I still do the version of breathing meditation I learned in class when I am seeking relaxation of my mind and body. However, I now do a number of different techniques, which build upon the relaxation properties of the breathing meditation. They offer increased concentration, detachment from emotional ups and downs, and clarity of the mind.

I normally won’t link to external sources of information on this site, unless it is an exceptional source. Today, as I was browsing one of the personal development forums I read regularly, I came across an exceptional post on meditation techniques and practices. This post describes, in detail, all of the techniques and methods I’ve been learning and using over the past 5 months. In addition, I learned new meditation techniques from this helpful post. I am excited to start experimenting with them as soon as possible; the benefits seem to be incredible.

I encourage you all to take 15-30 minutes out of your busy day to make time for meditation. Unless you are superhuman, I’m sure you waste more time than this in a day. The benefits of meditation are enormous. You will become a more relaxed, patient, and self-aware individual. Not to mention you will experience the beneficial health side effects which have been attributed to daily meditation.

If you keep it at it, you may forge a connection with a source of faith or higher power you never knew existed. Wouldn’t you say this is a wee bit more beneficial than sitting on the couch and watching the plug-in drug for 30 minutes a day? Maybe you can watch the televangelist channel and connect with a higher power that way (I’m kidding!)

So, without further ado, here is the link to the exceptional forum post.

If the link is not functional, please click shivraj meditation techniques

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