Meditation is all the rage these days. There are at least 10 different types of meditation these days. However, I want to write about two major categories of meditation: guided or unguided.
Guided is what most of us are used to. A pastor leading us in prayer, a guru on an app we downloaded walking us through a peaceful place, and the very common body scan walk through. That was my first experience with meditation in college. A professor walked us all through a body scan. I had an interesting experience that day, which I will write about on another day!
However, unguided is a whole different concept. Effectively there is no expert walking you through it. There is no hypnosis guru or yoga instructor to listen to. There is no need to download an app. You actually just need to sit quietly and comfortably and have no agenda, only an awareness of what you are thinking and feeling.
Meditation people call this “advanced.” I think that is hilarious that the average modern person cannot handle sitting quietly and doing nothing for 20 minutes. I have a dare for you. A double, triple dare. Sit quietly without disruption, eyes closed, no inputs. Just your own thoughts for at least 20 minutes. Do that everyday for 100 days in a row and just watch what happens.
Simple right? Literally do nothing once a day for 20 minutes. Be alert, awake and aware of your thoughts, but be still with no requirements. This simple act will most likely improve your health, your mood, your emotional stability. You will become more creative, more motivated and tend to focus on thing important to you. You will start caring for others more, and be less inwardly focused.
All you have to do is 20 minutes, unguided meditation everyday.
Guy Reams
