Impact of Meditation and Mindfulness

 Earlier today, I was listening to a segment on the radio that made an interesting connection between meditation and gratitude. The idea was that there was a positive link between the amount of meditation one practiced, and their feelings of gratitude and compassion.

One of my underlying beliefs reflected in other sections is in the value of maintaining a deep seated sense of humbleness and gratefulness for what others have done to help us get to where we are. For me, and the majority of people I assume, this interdependence takes root from childhood. From the milk and comfort that our mothers give us in the very beginning of our lives, to the toys, gifts, and even more basic human needs like food and shelter often, and to a certain extent even necessarily, arise from what others have given us in our lives. Our inability to survive from birth without support of another human, typically one that I remember the mother, is perhaps a reflection of the idea that we owe thanks to separate individuals.

And this fact ties us to others around us, and perhaps forces us to appreciate what we depend on. The fact that I live in the house of my parents, eat the food my parents make, and draw off the resources of my parents suggests that the relationship I hold with my parents is one marked by trust, respect, and benevolence. The next question that then came to mind is: why is the acknowledgement of this innate sense of interdependence important to lead an emotionally stable life?

One of the answers that comes to my mind is the fact that it is a deterrent for resentful feeling, and the complacency that could arise from not counting one’s blessings. Let me try to explain my idea by talking about religion. One of the basic ideas that I notice about religion, whether it be Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, or others, is the 1) humbling of oneself before an embodiment of the higher power 2) the recognition that some actions are good, and others evil and 3) a motivating factor to make the right decisions, such as desire to achieve the highest spiritual state of being (Moksh in Hinduism, Salvation in Christianity) or fear of alternatives (punishment in Hell). My opinion is that whether through religion or spiritual community or without, it is tough to lead a satisfying life without a goal that can humble us and push us to recognize our blessings.

As a relation to my personal life, I would cite a childhood habit of mine of praying nightly. I had several fears within me, such as the possibility of me not being able to achieve my full potential, and even graver (though at times baseless) fears of being deprived of comforts like family and shelter. I had attributed the comforting qualities of my life to be privilege given by a higher power, and the will to make the most of these comforts through hard work and noble action were some driving factors that helped me escape complacency or arrogance, which I feel are the pitfalls of living a life without gratefulness.

At the same, I’ve lately come ot recognize the importance of strong-heartedness, and the confidence that I can face difficult scenarios without forming an inseparable attachment to my life, the removal of which could cripple me and render my life miserable. One of the ways I had practiced this is by going out of my comfort zone is through making tough decisions. Self-discipline played a large part of my life in 2019 and 2020, as I changed my lifestyle. Knowing the initial difficulty of forming new habits, I pushed myself to exercise daily, play the piano daily, keep track of my work, and perhaps most challengingly meditate and relax for an hour each day (something that I know I need to get back to doing) and fulfill a set of tasks each day that, to some extent, push me beyond immediate gratification, yet don’t go so far as to enslave me to a burdensome and unenjoyable lifestyle.