70. Learn to Meditate

All my life, though I have been attracted to the idea of meditation, I have resisted actually doing it. I was seldom able to sit still long enough. Now that I’ve simplified my life, meditation has become an important part of my regular routine. Many people have just the opposite experience: once they have learned to meditate, they find they gradually begin to simplify their lives. Whether you simplify first, and then learn to meditate, or start meditating, and begin to simplify, or even start both processes at the same time, you’ll find meditation an effective way to maintain a simple life.

This is not to say that learning to meditate is easy, nor are the results necessarily immediate. But both the physical and psychological benefits of a sustained meditation program are well known and well documented. They include a much greater ability to deal with the everyday problems we all face, and a calmness and serenity that result from few other disciplines. Most people also find that meditation produces more energy, more restful sleep, an increased ability to concentrate, and an overall feeling of well-being.

There are many excellent books and tapes available which you can use to learn how to meditate. Some easy and effective methods are described in the little book, How to Meditate, by Lawrence LeShan. (Available in paperback from Bantam Books.)

Learning to meditate will give you a new understanding of your life, and will help you get clear on exactly how you want to live it.