Understanding meditation takes time—real time. Not just to learn how to do it, but to dismantle the layers of skepticism we’ve absorbed about whether it actually works. Even after we overcome that skepticism, many of us still resist practicing consistently. Why? Often because we’re not fully present when we do it—or we haven’t yet gathered enough personal evidence that it’s doing anything at all.
Then comes boredom. Laziness. A sense that maybe we’re doing it wrong. But if we persist through these stages with curiosity and patience—if we continue sitting, practicing, waiting, reading, writing about it, maybe even teaching what we’ve learned—something begins to shift.
Suddenly, or slowly over time, it’s as if we’re cracking open the shell of a metaphorical egg we’ve been resting in. The present moment becomes less elusive. Focus becomes easier. Thoughts appear like random balloons drifting into view. And instead of attaching to each one, we learn we can simply observe them—or gently let them float away using nothing more than our breath and attention.
This practice builds something priceless: the ability to relax both body and mind at will. We learn to choose our focus, and to remain calm and untriggered for longer periods. That’s when the real magic begins.
Because when the mind is truly relaxed, conflict cannot survive. In the anxious brain, we become reactive and disconnected. Life feels heavy, chaotic, overwhelming. But through a calm, steady mind, life—even with all its inherent challenges—can feel harmonious, spacious, even joyful.