Meditation is often portrayed as a state of peace and calm. With some practice, we do tend to get a taste of being grounded and relaxed. But, however reassuring that feels, we also quickly learn that this feeling does not last forever.
Some of us might start to view meditation as a way to recreate this sense of serenity and relaxation. Even if it means we only get a few minutes of reprieve from the chaos of “reality,” it’s better than nothing.
From this perspective, meditation can seem like a temporary escape from the cruel, harsh realities of our lives. When we approach meditation this way, we also run into the problem of meditation “not working” sometimes. That is, sometimes meditation does not give us the feeling we want, the escape that we want.
But true meditation is not about escaping, but rather being with what is here 100%. When we are just present with this moment, we realize that there is nothing to escape from. This moment has no good or bad; this moment has no peace or chaos. What creates good and bad, peace and chaos, is our MIND. It is our judgmental thinking that creates the turmoil we experience.
If we can see our thoughts for what they are, and just reside in the present moment, this moment simply is. Letting our thoughts go is not an escape from our thoughts. It is our mind’s original nature to be untethered to thoughts that come and go. By allowing thoughts and judgments to come and go without attaching to them, we are returning to our mind’s original nature. That is the function and meaning of meditation.
Mindfulness FAQ 