Let me tell you the story of how meditation changed my life.
When I was a teenager and into my early 20s, my mental health was a mess. I was the most emotional man of all time—I’m pretty sure I still am. I would get emotional over anything. For instance, I remember this one time when my ex and I went to see a classical music festival. A lovely Welsh opera singer sang *Nessun Dorma*, and I burst into tears to the extent that people around me were looking at me like, “What the hell is wrong with this guy? Why is he crying so much?”
I also had terrible social anxiety, to the point where if anyone spoke to me, I’d turn red-faced and get heart palpitations. Little did I know at the time that I was suffering from Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), one of the most complicated and hard-to-treat mental health conditions. It wouldn’t be for another 10 years until I received my formal diagnosis of BPD. Because of that, I spent a long time trying to manage my mental health with this undiagnosed condition…
…Like most people with serious mental health conditions, my life was dominated by my BPD. I searched far and wide for a solution—everywhere from my doctor’s office to therapists to all sorts of self-help books. Then I came across meditation.
My Life Started Changing When I Started Meditating
I’d tried many different ways to improve my mental health before finally came to meditation.
Meditation was different because it was just about *being*—just about observing. It was so simple. I started meditating by observing my breath, as many people do. Basic anapanasati, or mindful breathing meditation, was how I first got into it. What I remember most about meditation at that time was that it was a reprieve. It was a way to stop all the emotional noise in my mind and just breathe and *be* for a few minutes. It was an escape, and it gave me peace.
At that point, I didn’t know there were many different meditation techniques with unique benefits. So, all I did was mindful breathing. It wasn’t until I visited a quaint little bookstore and stumbled upon Lama Surya Das’s *Awakening the Buddha Within*—a wonderful book in which he chronicles his journeys to Tibet to meet the Dalai Lama—that I realized there are, in fact, different forms of meditation, such as vipassana, anapanasati, metta, and so on.
Once I understood that meditation wasn’t just mindful breathing and that there were all these different techniques, it was one of the most inspiring and exciting times of my spiritual life.
Different meditation techniques are like different tools for life
I dug into various books, learned all sorts of techniques, and studied everything I could about meditation. I used myself as a sort of self-help crash-test dummy. I’d try different meditation techniques without knowing what effect they might have, and I’d note their benefits and any side effects.
Through this process, I eventually launched my blog, TheDailyMeditation.com, which is all about the different meditation techniques. And it was here that I really discovered the secret to changing your life with meditation.
If you want to change your life with meditation, you have to go beyond just mindful breathing. You have to realize that meditation is like a whole smorgasbord of different techniques—things like mantra, Kundalini, chakra dhyana, vipassana, somatic, and so on. Each technique offers different benefits and is ideal for various stages of your life, depending on where you are. The key to a truly life-changing meditation practice is understanding these techniques and their benefits so you can choose the right one at the right time.
How do you do that? You have to get a little analytical.
My Approach To Meditation
Let me explain how I approach my meditation practice. For my own practice—and for the practice I teach to my student in my private meditation lessons—I like to get analytical. I become aware of my state of mind, my mood, and the thoughts I’m experiencing each day. I take note of them, and then I prescribe the best meditation technique based on where I’m at.
For example, let’s say I’ve had a stressful day at work, and my mind is racing with thoughts because of how busy I’ve been. If your mind is racing with busyness, the solution is simplicity. That’s when you’d prescribe simple mindful breathing because simplicity counters the complexity in your mind.
Or maybe you’re feeling unsupported or lonely, and you’re angry at others for not giving you enough support. The solution to that is meditating on compassion and connection. You’d practice loving-kindness (metta), karuna, or tonglen meditation to foster a sense of connection and recognize the compassion others offer.
Another example: perhaps you notice tension in your body that’s affecting your mood. The solution here is to become less reactive to physical sensations. Body scan or somatic meditation techniques would be ideal for this.
A successful meditation practice requires you to be aware of your mind—what emotions you’re experiencing and what thoughts are dominating. Thoughts are thematic; sometimes they’re judgmental, sometimes they’re preoccupied with work. Once you’re aware, you can prescribe the meditation technique that best addresses your current state. Doing this daily allows you to continually improve your mental health and well-being. You’ll go far beyond mindful breathing, exploring the full spectrum of meditation, and gain a deeper appreciation for the practice. Most importantly, you’ll change your life and achieve peak mental wellness.
That’s how meditation can change your life.
I hope you found this helpful. Please leave a comment—it helps me feel connected so I know I’ve made an impact.