World Meditation Day

“The results of meditation are amazing; it helps improve relationship with spouse, children and colleagues. People who have migraine will never get it again. You just have to spend 20 minutes a day and you will gain benefit in the long term both in your personal life and work life.”

Oprah Winfrey

“When I feel tired, pressured, scared or sad, I will meditate. It makes my mind clear, feel more relaxed and happier. I told these experiences to my friends and I recommended this meditation to all of them”

Katy Perry

“Meditation changes my life; it makes me calm, happy and feel good, peace and calm in the midst of chaos in life”

  Hugh Jackman

Celebrities from various circles of the Western world such as media mogul Oprah Winfrey, famous film director George Lucas, female artist ranked by Forbes magazine as “Highest-Earning Woman in Music” Katy Perry or talented Hollywood star Hugh Jackman; they all said that meditation has changed their lives for the better.   

As for the Eastern hemisphere, meditation has been known and popular for thousands of years but it was limited to Buddhism and Hinduism only and seemed to fade away with time. But it is not like that these days; meditation has been popular again among famous celebrities, well-educated young people or parents who see the importance of spiritual practice and happy life the same way as having worldly knowledge for career or seeking wealth. We can see that meditation becomes more popular because it gives benefits to people as followings:

1. Benefits to yourself 

• Help make the mind clear, gentle, happy.  
• Help make your memory and brain work more efficiently. 
• Help develop majestic personality. 

You will see through a trick of your emotion; you will calm down and be more discrete in considering various tasks. The mindfulness will filter your thought and action; you will look majestic and not in a hurry. 

• Reduce stress, bring good health and cure diseases. 

When you meditate, your body will release a substance of happiness (Endorphin) which reduces stress and blood pressure.

• Help skin look younger, brighter, look younger than your age. 

You will get oxygen to help purify your blood, another form of detoxification. 

• Help you make merit; meditative mind will be clean and pure, creating good karma. 

2. Benefits to family

• Family is peaceful 

If your family members always practice meditation, everybody will be determined on the precepts. You will live with dhamma, compassion, love, harmony, and unity.

• Family is prosperous 

Each member does their duties without defect, having firm mind. When facing with family problems or any obstacles, they will all help solve the problem. 

3. Benefits to society and country

• Peaceful society

Those who practice meditation will have strength and morality in their mind. If each trains his mind to be strong and stable, any problem will not occur.

• Having discipline 

If we always practice meditation, we will honor, respect each other and comply to the law of society.

• Society moving forward 

When people in society have moral, high efficiency of mind at work, they will create prosperous society. 

Now you can see the benefits of meditation; many may query how to start simple meditation. I would like to recommend a simple meditation practice for you to try: 

• When you are in the quiet place, just sit down in a comfortable position and follow your breath in and out. 
• Every time when you are free, you can close your eyes or choose to focus in one point for meditation.
• Always train yourself to observe your own feeling. 
• Be aware of your breath going in and out. 
• Don’t do several things at the same time, focus and intend on each thing at one time.

On this coming World Meditation Day, I would encourage everyone to reward themselves with a rest for their bodies and minds in a simple meditation to search for inner peace and strength as others have found from meditation. If you really don’t know how to start, I would like to recommend three meditation courses in Bangkok for a few days as follows: 

• A One-day Course of Anapanasti Meditation practice is organized by the School of Life Foundation, located at 462/12, Sukhumvit 77, On Nut Road Soi 8, On Nut, Suan Luang, Bangkok. This course will be arranged once a month, every month for a day starting from 9.00 am to 4.45 pm.  See the website for more details at http://www.techovipassana.org/course-bangkok.  Tel: 02-117-4063 and 02-117-4064 on business days and hours. 
• A One-day Course of Meditation practice is organized by Dharma Heritage Distribution Center Bodhiyan Sangha, located at 272, Ram Inthra Soi 61, Intersection 12, Ram Inthra Road, Tharang, Bang Khen, Bangkok. This training course will be arranged every Saturday at the beginning of the month, starting from 6.30 am to 6.30 pm. See the website for more details at www.watnongpahpong.org. Tel: 02 945 7611.
• A One-day One-night Course of Meditation practice is organized by Baan Aree Foundation, located at 17/1, Aree Soi 1, Phahonyothin Road, Samsen Nai, Phayathai, Bangkok. This training course will be arranged every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at 6.00-8.00 pm. for praying and meditation. See the website for more details at https://www.facebook.com/baanareefoundation/?tn-str=k%2AF

References

1. https://transcendental-meditation-thailand.org
2. https://thestandard.co/5-meditate-exercises/
3. https://www.ibsofficial.com/meditation2/
4. https://www.techovipassana.org/course-bangkok
5. https://www.watnongpahpong.org
6. https://www.facebook.com/baanareefoundation/

Translation: Pornpimol Kongtip