Meditation: I Feel Fine Without It

I quit meditation.

After practising meditation for twelve years I decided to stop. Trying to mediate every day without fail became a source of pressure itself.

Nothing terrible happened to bring me to the point of giving up on meditation; I stopped believing it was useful.

I explored meditation to help cope with my late father's illness and passing. I found meditation helped eliminate work-related stress, impatience and a few other negative character traits.

At least I thought meditation helped. It could be that I 'improved' through time and experience.

At the time of writing, it must be a couple of years since I meditated. And you know what? I feel fine.

My Meditation Journey

I got into meditation via the Law of Attraction.

After reading Rhonda Byrne's The Secret and various books of a similar nature, I encountered Charles Haanel's Master Key System. Although Haanel's approach to Law of Attraction seemed as whacky as all the others, it did involve taking meditative techniques to dwell on your heart's desires.

Haanel got me interested in meditation, and after reading into the subject, I began to meditate on my thoughts and avoided trying to attract superpowers from some universal consciousness.

When you explore meditation, you'll discover there is an industry built around it. There are books, courses and smartphone apps with their usual subscriptions.

Headspace was the first meditation app I used, and while I tried many others, I grew tired of the repetitive nature of the guidance, albeit helpful and encouraging advice.

One thing you need to be wary of is the cost of meditation subscriptions. Why should anyone pay to meditate?

App subscriptions could cost anything from £45 to £95 per year. I investigated Transcendental Meditation, but stopped when I discovered the licensed providers offer one to one tuition for hundreds to thousands of pounds.

Feeling Fine Without Meditation

My last attempts to enjoy meditation involved listening to ASMR on YouTube.

But let's be honest.

I can't call those meditation sessions.

Since when has listening to a beautiful young woman making mouth sounds in your ear been a recognised form of meditation?

There is, of course, the possibility I meditate without realising it.

I love a scenic view and would gaze at the countryside or mountains with a clear mind.

I enjoy the company of my pets and deep breathing the fresh country air where I live.

Little mindful moments might be all it takes. Photography is a form of meditation. The art of photography takes me to new places of discovery, new walks and places to roam. When I'm focused on my surroundings I am free from being distracted by the annoying internal monologue that can plague me.

Meditation has shaped my outlook up to the present and I have achieved all I need with the technique.

So, for now, I'm not going to meditate, subscribe or follow anyone.

And I feel okay about that.