Happy New Year!

So many exciting things are happening in our world these days.  Some of them are exciting in a good way, and some not so great. Climate change and political unrest are daunting challenges to overcome, but innovations in technology and space exploration give much hope for the future.  How do we keep our equilibrium during these times of rapid change?  By balancing the spin with stillness.

Yes, I am talking about meditation.  No, don’t stop reading now because you think meditation is either too hard, too time consuming, or too wacky.  Once you find a meditation style that works for you, it becomes a simple, relatively quick way to be your best self.

There are so many different ways to meditate, so don’t be daunted by thinking you have to sit in lotus position for an hour, or chant mantras and count beads.  At the same time, don’t immediately throw out the idea of chanting mantras or counting beads; that might be your best way of meditating!

A great way to learn to meditate is by taking a class or joining a group meditation, but you can also take advantage of the bazillions of sites on the internet and YouTube.  Search a particular style of meditation that you have heard of (Buddhist meditation, walking meditation) or check out the websites of some of the biggies (Deepak Chopra or the Silva Method).  Or just type in “how to meditate” and see what comes up.

Meditation is a skill that must be learned, so just like when you started your yoga practice or worked up to the Boston Marathon, you start where you are and go from there.  Make it a priority for 2012.  Om shanti. Peace.