Almost everyone has heard about meditation, but few people know the immense benefits offered by this simple exercise in awareness. It is the purpose of this article to pitch meditation in such a way as to make you, the reader, want to put down this paper and begin practicing right away.Essentially, meditation tries to bring the attention of one’s mind to something specific, and then hold it there for a long period of time. However, this feat is much easier said than done, as disruptive thoughts continually lead the mind away from the object of meditation. Everyone has been reading a book when suddenly they realize that they do not remember entire pages of content because they were thinking about food, sex or part of their day. And what about driving home from work and arriving without having remembered any of the journey? In both cases, our minds ignored the vibrancy of the present moment to follow after silly thoughts wandering endless tracks. These thoughts, which prevent us from experiencing reality, resemble dreams with open eyes. There’s no telling the kind of valuable experiences we miss out on every day simply for not paying attention to our surroundings and ourselves. The enormity of the preceeding paragraph cannot be conveyed through written sentences. Only through practicing meditation consistently will you come to realize how important present-mindedness is to a healthy psyche. You’ll be amazed at the way prolonged periods of quiet, intentional awareness will affect your overall disposition. Love will be just as joyful, but far less perturbing. Concern for others will begin to shield us from the painful wallowing of self-pity. And the world around you literally brightens with greater focus on the present moment.The truest value of meditation comes in the way that it teaches the delicate art of observing. Believe me when I say that maturity requires observance in the same way flowers require sunlight. To pay attention is the only way to learn, and there is much to be learned from everything around you. There is no end to the value of learning to listen, as listening both to one’s environment and to the chatter of one’s mind must bring about a greater sense of wisdom. In the words of Mark Twain, “God gave us two ears and one mouth for a reason.”Benefits highlighted, let’s jump into some technique, shall we? First, find a comfortable spot to sit. You can sit anywhere and in any position just so long as you can remain still for half an hour; you probably shouldn’t lay down for risk of sleeping. Hands resting in your lap, shoulders relaxed, breathing normal, spine erect and stable, eyes lowered and half-closed. You should not stare at one point so much as allow your eyes to rest in one position. Now you need to pick what’s called an object of meditation. Breathing meditation is a great place to start for two reasons: 1. You always breathe, thus making the cycle of one’s breath a simple and accessible object of meditation, and 2. Consistent practice will lead to stillness and stability in the mind as a whole.Before beginning your meditation, make the conscious decision to reign in your attention, and focus solely on your breath for awhile. Commit yourself to the breath, and choose to view all other thoughts as obstacles to be overcome. Make a note of the time, and begin your session. Focus in on the natural rhythm of the breath without consciously affecting it. Awareness is the key, not control. Don’t be surprised when you run into difficulties. You won’t be able to hold your attention for more than 15 seconds in the first few sessions, but practice makes perfect. Like training wheels, beginners can count their breaths to provide some type of grounding and extra stability. Also don’t be surprised if an hour seems to take forever. More moments live inside a minute than you might believe. As troublesome thoughts arise and lead us into daydreams, it is your duty as the practitioner to recognize these dreams and let them go. Always, always return to the breath. Relax your mind and your body, remain alert to your breath and drain all thoughts from your mind. Imagine your individual thoughts as beautiful, distracting butterflies. Allow them to fly away. Do not chase after them and look like a fool. Frustration is contrary to the goals of this exercise. You should never get worked up if you have difficulty meditating because the goal is to relax, and develop a deep sense of peace; beyond that, frustration is a thought, which should be recognized and released along with all the other thoughts. I do not exaggerate when I say that meditation has the power to affect almost every aspect of your life in a positive way. Awareness is such a fundamental aspect to all conscious behavior that I guarantee six weeks of meditating for 30 minutes a day will lead to a noticeably more peaceful soul. And no, I’m not trying to sell you anything. Although for more information, I recommend a book called “Turning the Mind into an Ally.” The hardest part about all of this is remembering to work meditation into your busy schedule. I recommend meditating before class, before sleep and before studying because all of those activities can best be completed with a quiet mind.I’ll continue next week with strategies for implementing improved awareness into more facets of our everyday lives.

About the writer: Keven O’Toole is a junior philosophy major and can be reached at [email protected].