“People drop their meditation practice mostly because they can’t fit it into a crowded day. I propose that your mind wants to be in a meditative state naturally, and you can access it anytime you wish. No special time needs to be set aside. You simply notice when you are distracted, upset, or stressed, and in less than a minute you can return to a calm, centered state once more. Total meditation is very simple but also very different from how people approach meditation right now, and the more you make it a habit the more you will live in a state of open, free, creative, and blissful awareness.” How to ask for insight: The body-mind is a whole; therefore, insights aren’t just mental. You can feel them as sensations such as surprise, delight, or an “Aha!” moment of making a new discovery. These indications can help you tell how insights differ from everyday thoughts. The beauty of having your own insight is that it will excite and motivate you. Let’s try insight meditation around a key goal that drives us all: safety and security. I’ve provided a handful of insights to get you started. Some are insights gained from my own journey. Others are the insights of saints, sages, and spiritual guides in the world’s wisdom traditions. Just read them over before you start your meditation, as a way to focus your mind on the goal. You are only as safe as you feel. Your true self is never under threat. The world reflects your inner safety or inner insecurity. When you are whole, you are totally safe. To be safe is to be present here and now. At the level of the true self, you are perfectly safe and secure. There is no threat that can shake your true self from this knowledge because it is innate, coming directly from pure consciousness. Obviously, everyday life brings situations that feel the exact opposite. The news is filled with stories about disaster and imminent danger. Worst-case scenarios run through our minds when we feel threatened. Stress itself is a threat, even in small doses because it triggers the stress response, which we inherited as a way to cope with threats by running away (flight) or physically standing up to danger (fight). A breakthrough occurs in total meditation because you begin to experience the truth: Being safe is a state of awareness. Today you can get closer to living in a state of awareness that makes you totally safe and secure by reflecting on the below three questions. It will probably be most effective simply to choose one question. Let your attention be attracted to the issues that are calling out to you personally. What am I doing right? Any step that gets you feeling safe in yourself is right. The basic move is to go into meditation mode whenever you start to feel pressured or insecure. By doing this, you shift your awareness away from stress. Any step that makes you feel unsafe in yourself isn’t working for you. Being worried or anxious never resolves a situation.
