Why Meditation Is So Empowering

As we enter week #3 of our Meditation Challenge (Aug 15 – 21), it is time again to reflect on why we meditate and why it is so important. There are a number of ways to address this, but perhaps the most significant is that meditation is one of, if not, the most empowering things we can do – period.

People try to build up their personality in all kinds of ways: Skills training, advanced degrees, climbing mountains, etc. But none of those in isolation is as important or critical as the power of thought.

Yádrshii bhávaná yasya siddhirbhavati tádrshii – As you think, so you become.

This theorem or tenet is what makes meditation such an incredibly powerful and meaningful endeavor.

Because while much of what we do to build ourselves up in this world is done externally – career development, economic gain, and even physical fitness – none of those engagements transform us the way meditation can.

Meditation starts at the source: The mind which produces the thought. The complexes one has, the fears one harbors, the visions one cultivates, the love one feels all reside in the mind. And meditation is that process which solely addresses the refinement and enhancement of mind through the cultivation of an idea. Veritably by thinking in a partiuclar manner we begin to personify that quality.

It is no different from driving down the road. If you look a the double yellow line you will be driving on the double yellow line.

Similarly, the thoughts you cultivate in life are the person you become. That is why the yogis guide us to channelize the mind in a positive direction through subtle ideation. And the most effective and dynamic way to do this is by silent meditation. When the body is essentially inactive, the mind can become fully focused. That focused mind is enough to truly cultivate right thinking which then wholly transforms one’s personae.

That is the special science and unique aspect behind the practice of meditation: As you think, so you become. And it is this universal theorem that makes meditation such an empowering practice.

Note: Here are earlier articles on our Meditation Challenge: Week #1: Welcome to the Challenge; Week #2 Tips for Better Meditation.