Meditation: Finding Balance Within

THREE STYLES OF MEDITATION

Finding balance within through meditation

“One reason I practice meditation is to maintain my own balance and clarity of mind in the face of challenges. To be able to stay on course through all the weather changes”

— Myla and Jon Kabat-Zinn

We crave balance in our lives. 

Of course, when we meditate, we benefit from balance too. 

Imagine if you wanted to drink a glass of water. 

There are three styles to drink it. 

The first style is: “OK, I NEED to drink this water!” You tighten your hand, your arm, your entire body, and you try to get the cup. You get tired. 

The second style is: “Ah… you know, I need to drink this water, so I’m going to get this water *sigh* and tomorrow I will drink it.” Then tomorrow comes: “Oh yes, I am going to drink the water—but where is my phone?” Maybe you look at the phone, and see how many “likes” you have, and forget: “Oh, the water!” 

The third style is: To relax your hand, grab the cup, and drink the water. 

“Getting in balance is not so much about adopting new strategies to change your behaviors, as it is about realigning yourself in all of your thoughts so as to create a balance between what you desire and how you conduct your life on a daily basis”

— Wayne Dyer

The first style is too tight. 

The second style is too loose. 

The third style is relaxed and balanced. 

We benefit from balance. 

But whether we choose balance or not—that’s another issue. 

Sometimes we become too tight. 

During meditation, we often become very tight: “Concentration! I need a special state of mind! I need to empty my mind—no thought, no emotion! Absolute concentration on my breath, on sound, on sensation!” 

When we do this, thoughts race more and grow louder. 

But sometimes we are too loose: “I’m going to meditate, maybe tomorrow...maybe someday…” Just wandering here and there. Then there’s no result.

To find a balance through meditation is to try our best.

Using our effort, our skill, our energy.

But not caging the mind too tight.

And not letting an undisciplined mind run wild.

The meditation experience goes up and down… up and down… 

Like the stock market. 

Like the waves of the ocean.

We accept that. 

But we don’t give up. 

The balance we practice in meditation overflows into every aspect of our life.

Anything we say. 

How we show up in our work.

Who we are in our relationships. 

How we contribute to society. 

When we have balance, the effects of what we do become greater. 

We are more relaxed. 

We can easily achieve even difficult tasks. 

Finding balance is a beautiful journey that begins within.

“Balance is a feeling derived from being whole and complete; it’s a sense of harmony.”

— Joshua Osenga

We’re able to find balance in our lives through our meditation practice by doing our best without stressing about the results.

When there is balance, results such as peace, relaxation, joy, and achievement come more easily.