The Indus Ancient Civilization were really on to something when they practiced sitting still.
The cause of our suffering is the inability to distinguish between what is truth (what perceived) and what appears to be the truth (what is perceived).
Among the ruins of underground muddied rubble and stone in modern day North east Pakistan, archeologists discovered evidence of what we understand today as meditation. The most famous finding from these walls was an image of The Pashupati (Sanscrit for lord of the animals) surrounded by wild animals. Pashupati sits among busy and distracting animals and hunters yet shows no sign of movement, only stillness and concentration. Archeologists argued that this proved evidence for the existence of psychological introspection. What we now understand as Yoga.
The Indus Civilization is one of the oldest civilizations on the planet, dating back to 3300 to 1300 BCE. They were an agricultural society that demonstrated ritual discipline practices; such as sitting in a seated position and mastering the art of calm. Their techniques proved to be successful enough to have inspired later periods of urbanization like the Vedic Period, 1500 - 500 BCE, to practice calming the mind and body.
From contentment, incomparable joy is obtained.
Like much of ancient history, knowledge that's been remembered from lost traditions has been passed orally until it becomes documented. The Vedas, a religious documentation of Hinduism and Yoga Philosophies, is the first we see of its kind and pre-dates any religion we know today. The wisdom that was passed down from the Indus way of life is used as building blocks to write the Yoga Sutras or better known today as the 8 Limbs of Yoga, a practical guide on how to live a more purposeful life. Among the 8 Limbs, number 7 is Meditation. The Vedas, a religious text from the Vedic Period explains how to practice mediation.
The inner consciousness is revealed, we come to know the true self, and our obstacles are reduced.
Today, according to the LA times over 14.2% of Americans are practicing this form of meditation. That's a 10.1% increase from 2012! There is clearly some Zen happening here! In today's Yoga classes, you see traditional ancient Indus meditation practice as well as Vedic Meditation practices. Spiritual rituals like this are so commonplace among work culture and education that even doctors are starting to recommend it as a way of coping with daily life. The physiological benefits meditation brings to the human body and mind have inspired scientists and doctors to study how and why this practice actually works. We may not know precisely why Meditation works but we definitely know through experience what is does. Some of the positive physiological effects include:
increased awareness
enhanced concentration or focus
better sleep
lower blood pressure
reduced anxiety and depression
reduced stress
reduced muscle tension
However you interpret meditation, the practice itself seems to be working a significant amount. Perhaps the first human civilizations had it right all along.
Effort toward steadiness of the mind is practice.
Imagine living a life where fear and anxiety over the unknown was vanished? A life of presence, emotional control, creative expression and complete awareness and knowledge about yourself was what you embodied each time you woke up in the morning. Meditation practices actually improve your self-esteem and helps discover a deeper sense of purpose for your life. So, why wouldn't you want to meditate?
I love this topic! Let me know what you think and what your experience is with your meditation practice. It's taken me years of practice and most days I still struggle to "sit still." You may sign up for my newsletter and become alerted each time a new blog comes out! You also get priority on commenting and continuing the dialogue with me :).
Happy Meditating,
Ashleigh
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