Meditation is the feeling of oneness, where there is no separation between you and wherever you place your attention. It's like you dive into the moment with all your being. You then go beyond the sensations to merge completely with the experience itself.

A Natural State

Meditation can be experienced naturally in many different ways. You get the feeling of deep relaxation and having a greater focus and awareness without attachment. You may be contemplating, praying, walking in nature, enjoying beautiful music or romancing with your beloved. I could go on and on...

For example, ever since I was a little girl, when I get deeply into a project that I really love, my regular mind stops chattering. It's like I've released it from all its conditioning and stress. A feeling of peace and calm comes over me, and nothing seems to get in the way. And, I am able to see the solution to what I'm setting out to do, even before I have begun.

Regular Practice

I realize that I have been meditating much of my life without even knowing that's what I was doing. Studying about it and taking meditation classes has helped me return to those meditative states in a more conscious way. I now experience them more regularly and on demand, whenever the situation warrants it.

Most people have glimpses of these "greater than ordinary" moments, but often they are fleeting and soon get forgotten in the turmoil and stress of daily living.

That is why, especially today, I am grateful to have consciously re-learned meditation, so I can access this natural state more easily and deeply.

Watching Your Breath

I enjoy showing others how they can access this state too. For example, here's a simple "Watching Your Breath" Meditation:

• Sit quietly on a straight chair, with your feet touching the floor.

• Place your hands gently on your lap, unclenched and relaxed.

• Gently close your eyes and focus on the space between your eyebrows without effort.

• Breathe slowly in and out, filling your belly to fullness on the in-breath and emptying your belly on the out-breath.

• Watch your breathing without effort as you settle into a slow rhythm.

• If thoughts come in, just observe them and let them go on each out-breath.

• Continue to breathe and watch your breath without attachment.

• Feel the peace of the experience as you empty your mind with your breath. Stay there for as long as you're comfortable (5 to 15 minutes).

• Slowly open your eyes and wiggle your fingers and toes to bring yourself back into ordinary consciousness. Take a few more grounding breaths before returning to your other work.

Whenever you are stressed out or stuck on a problem, this simple little exercise can free your awareness so you can uncover solutions that were just waiting for you to realize them.

Remember, meditation is your natural state. Stress is not natural. It robs you of that natural state. But now you can actually catch the stress in mid-flight, so to speak, and let your breath take you back into your natural state any time you want. How cool is that?