This meditation thing's getting kind of popular - I wonder what it's going to mean...

Over at his blog "The Middle Way", Wade reports that the Question "How to Meditate", has made Google's "Top Ten How-to Issues" list.

I'm reflecting on what this brings up for me (and sometimes needing to notice and then let go, as appropriate).

One of the first things is a sense of satisfaction - a feeling of "Huh! See? I was right!" Not the most constructive feeling in the world, I grant you. I've long been a believer in the axiom that you can be right or happy, but you can rarely be both. In this case, it's because I'm used to quote-normal-unquote people thinking I'm kind of weird for wanting to follow a meditative path - for stating openly that if it wasn't for the meditation and exercise routines I've established in the past, I'd never be able to deal with the daily stress of my life. Now these so-called normal folk are starting to see some value in this path...

So, OK, I'll let that need to be right go - let it just float away - and instead, I'll focus on gratitude that more and more people are looking around for techniques that will benefit their lives, and quite possibly the lives of people around them. After all, more self-aware, self-fulfilled, generally happy-with-themselves individuals has got to be good for society as a whole, right?

Next, there's a feeling of hopefulness that comes from a recognition of the forces of supply and demand. See, if huge numbers of people are looking for information on a particular topic, then experience suggests to me that other people are going to be trying to meet that need - which means that information's going to keep appearing. Now, I grant you, some of this information will be faulty, and some of it will be put up for sale by people looking only to cash in on the demand... but the Internet is a big place. There are enough folks out there who *are* honestly looking to met people's needs first and make money second, if at all. (Note: I'm not trying to say that there's anything wrong whatsoever in trying to make a living meeting people's needs for information or anything else for that matter. Making a living at their expense by making promises that don't end up kept, however, is a very different kettle of fish).

So yeah, I guess I could sum up my response there as being one of hopefulness that, with so many people expressing interest in learning how to meditate, we'll start seeing more and more resources appearing that'll help guide beginners who are wanting to learn techniques (and online community for those that theoretically know the techniques but don't practise them).

And finally, there's curiousity. I know why *I* decided to start investigating meditation: I wanted to feel more in control of myself and my thought processes - wanted to be calmer and less drama-driven - wanted to be still enough to connect with Spirit and with my own intuition. As I've trained and investigated and researched and just learned from experience, though, I've realised that reasons for learning to meditate are as individual as the people who are learning.

So now I'm curious about what's prompting this many people to want to learn now. Is it stressful lives? Health concerns? A feeling of emptiness and yearning for Spirit? A tool they can use to give them an edge in their busy on-the-go lives? I don't think there's any reason that's right-er or wrong-er than another - but the kind of resources people are looking for will influence the kind of resources that become available... and it'll be interesting seeing how that develops.

Speaking of curiousity, why did you originally want to explore meditation? What were you looking for when you started searching? If you've been learning for a while now, have your reasons changed as time's gone by?

I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts!

Blessings



Starfire