Founder of Leaves Institute, Yumiko Asakura has been meditating since the age of two. She sees meditation as being as natural and fundamental to life as breathing. In this blog we explore what meditation is, why it’s so important and how to do it.
What is meditation?
Meditation is the process of quietening the mind in order to connect with the higher part of yourself – referred to as pure consciousness. As humans, we develop a personality that helps us to survive in a social environment and causes us to develop certain patterns of thought and behaviour. The basis of this personality (our ego) is established by around the age of three.
Why is meditation important?
Our personality is a social construct, it is not who we really are. The way we can connect with this authentic part of ourselves – our pure consciousness – is through meditation. Yumiko explained:
“You cannot understand who you truly are from the way you behave or the way you talk. The only way you can truly know yourself is to connect with your pure consciousness. In this way, you can begin to understand what you really want in life and what your life’s purpose is. Ultimately, the only way to be truly happy is to live your life’s purpose because everything else is simply about fulfilling social roles and expectations.”
What to do if you can’t stop thoughts
In a meditative state it is not possible to think about anything and this unthinking state of stillness is what we call pure consciousness. However, for many people, particularly when they start to meditate, the mind can jump around all over the place and it can be hard to stop thoughts. Yumiko advises:
“Let your thoughts buzz around, don’t try to stop them. Just observe them because when you are observing you are closer to the place of your higher self and so it is easier to connect with the feeling of pure consciousness. Allow whatever comes to come and just observe it and then let it go. Even if you only enter a place of no thought for one minute or 30 seconds that is fine. Trust yourself and that you can come back into that place when you need to.
“A meditative state is something that comes naturally to us but we may have to practice allowing it to happen. It may be easier in the beginning to work with a teacher or someone who can help you to meditate. I am a shaman and I practice something called bifocal vision, which is the ability to see people simultaneously in human form and in spirit form. This enables me to guide someone energetically so that they can attune to the vibration of their higher self and connect more easily to pure consciousness.”
How to Meditate
Yumiko offers the following advice in response to the questions people most often ask:
1. “I can’t stop myself thinking when I meditate”: Don’t worry if you experience thoughts and sensations in your body. Try to observe them and let them go.
2. “Do I need to ask my higher self a question during meditation?”: A meditative state is one of stillness, without thought, so you can’t ask questions while you are in meditation. However, pure consciousness holds all the answers and all of the knowing so when you come back from meditation you may find that you just ‘know’ and you can make choices more easily.
3. “How long should I meditate for?”: There is no right or wrong amount of time to meditate. You may find you can only stop thought for a minute at first and that’s fine. Even just a few moments of non-thought will be beneficial.
4. “Why would I want to meditate?”: Meditation has lots of benefits, many of them very practical. It can help you to feel more content and to trust yourself more even when you make mistakes (because that is how we learn). It can help you to become more confident in yourself and happier with who you are. Being more connected to your higher self gives you a greater sense of security and makes you less susceptible to criticism.
5. “Do I have to close my eyes to meditate?” There are many different ways to meditate. Closing your eyes can be helpful as there is less to distract you but you have to feel safe and comfortable to be able to close your eyes. If you struggle to close your eyes, try focusing on something small like a candle flame or a marble and lose yourself in the experience of looking. You can also hold something in your hand, doodle or even walk. The important thing is just to have no purpose in doing what you are doing other than simply to be in a state of being.
If you would like support to learn to meditate, we are running an online meditation course called Fuku Meiso (Meditation for Health and Happiness) starting in January 2022.
