Meditation and Its Forms

Atma namaste, dear Anvani Soul,

Starting the year off with one of my favourite topics—meditation.

This is that one topic that has been spoken about by so many people for so long, and yet there is still so much to explore.

Meditation, a growing wellness practice, is far more than sitting still, closing our eyes, and trying—often unsuccessfully—to control our thoughts and emotions. It is also more than simply letting these thoughts and emotions flow. Meditation is a practice with the aim of it becoming a state of mind. It is that one act you do so that you can be that state even outside of meditation. The simple act of sitting still is only the method; the goal is to meditate every moment of every day.

Before exploring how this can be done, it is important to understand this state of meditation. What does it truly mean? What can one expect? How does one experience it?

Contrary to popular belief, meditation is not something that immediately brings peace and calm. The first few attempts are often deeply uncomfortable and challenging. Calmness emerges through this discomfort. In essence, meditation is not peace—it is heightened awareness. Awareness of comfort and discomfort, of thoughts that nourish and thoughts that challenge, of emotions that feel blissful and those that pull us down.

Meditation is a state of complete control.

In this state, one rarely loses control of thoughts, emotions, or actions. They are aware of their strengths and weaknesses, and are on a journey to learn how to overcome those weaknesses. As such, they know their boundaries well and how to navigate through them. This is not to say that they are dispassionate or have no emotions, but that they have a level of control over their emotions that does not allow them to lose themselves in them. They no longer identify themselves with their thoughts and emotions, but rather with the journey.

This, however, is the ultimate objective. But every practice begins somewhere, so how does one cultivate meditation?

A good starting point is the most common method: guided meditation. Receiving cues to direct thoughts and emotions offers gentle structure and strong support. Guided meditations also come in many forms, making them suitable for different situations and states of mind.

For those who resonate more deeply with sound, meditation using chants or music can be a powerful entry point.

Another method is to sit alone without any external stimulus—no chanting, no music, nothing at all. Just the mind and you. This method, in my experience, carries a deep quality of self-love.

My favourite method, however, is complete presence in the current moment. Bringing awareness to the mind, the body, the breath, and the task at hand. Here, meditation becomes unlimited. It is no longer bound by time, place, network, or even a mat. It becomes woven into who you are. This state is perhaps the most demanding to cultivate, yet its rewards are phenomenal.

It is often said that the aim of meditation is to reach a state with no thoughts and no emotions, and that this is extremely difficult to achieve. This is true.

Yet a deeper inquiry remains. Does stillness arise from flow, or from the whirlpool we attempt to suppress? To arrive at mental stillness, the mind must first be allowed to flow. Within this flow, we remain observers—an audience with no role to play.

And so, meditation can be exercise, work, singing, and painting. It can be giving a speech, or for me, right now, writing this blog.

To explore how else you can meditate, join our 10-day meditation challenge. We will explore various methods of meditation and allow the practice to meet you where you are. To join, click HERE.