Have you ever compared yourself to a friend or peer?
You may have had this experience in school where competition is often high and interpersonal reflection is low. But you may even get the feeling if you participate in spiritual or wellness communities, which often value self-love and non-judgment. Other people seem more centered, more flexible, wiser, or more ‘in tune.’ I tend to feel particularly inadequate in yoga classes, when everyone else seems so strong and balanced, and I’m struggling to keep my muscles from shaking with fatigue.
Taras presents the predicament to Deepak in this week’s episode of The Chopra Well’s SPIRITUAL SOLUTIONS. After three years of practicing meditation, he still feels that he doesn’t have as ‘intense’ of an experience as those around him. Though he and his peers seem to be doing the same practice, why do their results differ? Why do others seem to have a more intense experience of meditation than he does? And last, what does it mean when the guru says to ‘be accepting’?
I can just imagine the spiritual teacher saying, “Be accepting of your meditation, even if it doesn’t feel as intense as someone else’s…” The feeling of inadequacy is subsumed by the vague mandate to ‘be accepting.’ But what does any of it mean? Deepak, on the other hand, shies away from the guru-complex and approaches Taras’ questions from a different angle.
Meditation shouldn’t have an agenda. When you sit down to meditate, try to have no expectations. Think of it rather as a process. And don’t feel you need to compare yourself to others. Sometimes, ‘intense’ is just code for ‘melodramatic,’ and there is no reason meditation needs to be overly dramatic. The most important thing you can get out of meditation is to feel centered and sober.
As far as gurus goes, Deepak reminds us that there is no external authority greater than the self. The guru is yourself. Trusting your inner self and inner authority – this is what it truly means to be accepting.
What do you think? How can we come to trust our inner authority? Keep the discussion going in the comments section below!
More Resources:
Thinking of starting a meditation practice? Click here for inspiration.
To spice up your practice, check out The Chopra Well’s show, THE MEDITATOR.
For more help with meditation, check out the Chopra Center’s 21-Day Meditation Challenge.
Tap into your inner guru and start living creatively.
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