Meditation

Exactly 10 years ago, I was introduced by my family to meditation. I remember watching Youtube videos trying to learn how to do it. Before every school exam, I trained myself to get in a state of calm. I felt I had a superpower.

Over the last 10 years, I have dived deep into meditation. I have attended long retreats, small retreats, and have maintained a daily practice. 

I'll cut to the chase: what media tells us about meditation is inaccurate. 

We are told it helps us overcome stress. I have had enough times in my life where meditation has directly caused stress.

We are told meditation helps control anger. In reality, meditation can even lead to an increase in anger.

We are told we will sleep better after meditation. In reality, it can take away your sleep (sometimes).

I am not saying meditation cannot have benefits. But that is not the true purpose of it. The main reason why anyone should meditate is to develop wisdom - and that often means confronting unpleasant emotions.

If you would like more details, I distill my understanding from over a decade of practice in this video. I hope this video deeply benefits you - a lot of blood, sweat, and tears have gone into developing this understanding of meditation!

📗Book I'm reading: Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky. It's a classic of Russian literature and a deep exploration into the psychology of fear and guilt. Take a look.

📕Another book I've been reading: Animal Farm by George Orwell. It explores how a regime can descend into an autocracy. It's a short but eye opening read, and very relevant to our times.

📘And another one, for good measure: Identity Trap by Yascha Mounk. This is the well-reasoned critique of identity based politics. It tracks the intellectual history of identity politics and explores how it applies today. (note: I'm not endorsing or condemning any political view here, but strictly inviting you to read widely).

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