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Meditation Practice is like Weight Lifting; a Meditative State is like Muscle Strength

When you think about sitting in a meditation practice, what it looks like from the outside is sitting quietly for a few minutes. But meditation practice is not only about those few minutes; it goes beyond that.

In a gym session, how much time do you spend—40 to 60 minutes, or sometimes even less for a quick workout? The magic doesn’t happen only during that session. It’s also about what happens afterward, when your muscles recover. And after multiple sessions, you start to see improvements in strength and visible muscle.

Basically, you practice building strength for 40 minutes, and that strength stays with you beyond those 40 minutes.

Meditation practice is the same. You practice meditation for a given amount of time as a session, and your meditative state stays with you beyond that practice.

I would never say that you will never have an argument with your spouse if you practice regularly. An argument is simply a difference in opinion that can occur at any time. That would be like saying you will never get sick if your diet and exercise are consistent and good. You could still catch a common cold, right? But your body may handle it better, and you may bounce back quicker and steadier.

Even if you face an argument, you won’t be consumed by it. Mentally, you wouldn’t be as prone to prolonged stress. You would return to a calm and steady state more quickly. Your whole day wouldn’t be affected in the same way. The experience and effect of the same situation could be different for the other person, though they may notice the shift in you.

If you do weight lifting, you gain muscle strength. No matter how much you love someone and wish them well, you can’t transfer that strength to them, can you?

You could ask them to join the gym with you for its benefits. That is something you could gently suggest. Still, apart from the individual benefits, you being healthy adds a lot to the overall family dynamic. Something beneficial for you can add up to something meaningful in the lives of the people around you.

Back to the whole day

Yes, your whole day won’t be consumed just because you faced a difficult situation.

You wouldn’t go into a spiral of whose fault it was, what was being said, who said more. The mind simply wants to come back to its strength—to its meditative state.

The same goes for a situation in your office or workspace. Your whole day won’t be consumed by it.

A meditative state, no doubt, seems like a fine place to be. So how soon can I reach there?

Let’s answer this again using my favourite equivalent: lifting weights.

Definitely more than one practice.

A practice that becomes part of your daily routine.

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