Meditation is like a university of self-development – a people’s university that is accessible to everyone.
How I came to meditation
In 2012, after my first year of studying Ayurveda at the European Institute of Vedic Studies in Switzerland, I went on a placement to India, where I met Tim Mitchell, an Australian teacher of Vedic meditation. I’d previously come across meditation in yoga classes, but it hadn’t led to a daily, self-motivating practice. I was interested in it, as meditation plays an important role in Ayurveda, Ayurvedic psychology and modern psychology – and psychology is my academic background.
I invited Tim to Estonia and we put together a group of friends and acquaintances interested in meditation. Tim has now visited Estonia three times to teach Vedic meditation and once to lead a meditation retreat here. Out of these groups, a community has grown that meets once a month to meditate together – group meditation is a powerful experience.
I meditate once or twice a day myself, usually for 20 minutes at a time. To start with, I do five minutes of nadi shodhana pranayama, which helps me reach inner stillness more quickly.
What effect does meditation have?
The most candid critics to give me feedback have been my children. I have four children, the eldest of whom already lives independently. My children say I’m so normal, and they’re amazed that I don’t get on my nerves at all anymore. A sense of presence and love is what meditation and Ayurveda have given me.
Meditation doesn’t require any special skill
I am now an Ayurveda practitioner and, alongside other practices, I also teach my clients how to meditate. People who haven’t come across meditation usually think it’s a special skill that requires a tremendous amount of effort and is only accessible to those who are highly spiritually developed. I try to dispel this notion: meditation is the most natural and beneficial form of rest for the body and mind.
By meditation, I mean sitting still in a comfortable, relaxed position – with a straight back, eyes closed, in silence and without any specific aim – simply observing, experiencing and accepting oneself. It is within everyone’s reach, and there are certainly many who practise it without calling it meditation.
This kind of quiet being, without the exertion of will, without a goal or action, is necessary in order to distinguish external stimuli from our inner needs. As we sit quietly and focus on ourselves, our true needs become apparent.
How to get started
It is easier to start with someone who can support, guide and motivate you. To calm the mind, you can use mantras – as in the Vedic and Transcendental Meditation traditions – or nadi shodhana pranayama, as in the Ayurvedic tradition.
All you need to succeed is to sit on a chair every day, close your eyes and remain still as an observer. That is meditation, and whatever happens at that moment is right and the best it can be. If the body is tired, it takes what it needs and dozes off – let it doze off; next time, the experience will be different. The experience of meditation can be different every time.
This kind of simple meditation creates a sense of contentment and love, but it does not make you passive. Meditation is like a university of self-development – but a people’s university, accessible to everyone.
Meditation and breathing exercises are also part of psychological counselling and form part of the daily schedule of a panchakarma retreat.