Bernadette Kagechu(Bennie) / Nairobi Kenya
Mention the word meditation and the first thing that always came to my mind was Yoga. Coming from a country where this meditation is not widely practiced or even rarely talked about, my view was as far as I had heard it mentioned or just what I imagined it to be. It just happened, I stumbled upon it at a time that I needed divine help. My life had become unbearable. I did not find happiness in my work or in the things I did. Even when work was fine, there was just something lacking. One afternoon, as I struggled with these emotions and my state of mind was at its peak with confusion, I bumped into this meditation helper who handed me a pamphlet inside a bank in a Mall here in Nairobi, Kenya.
I got home late that day and read the pamphlet, to my surprise, even if this meditation did not appeal to me then, the content really resonated very well with me. I needed to get out of my delusions and the delusional world I found myself in. Here was a method, promising to get me out of my misery which was my mind. Everything I was going through was as a result of the many pictures I had stored in my mind that made my life very miserable. It also promised to get me out of my attachments, something I knew I was struggling with.
From the time I resolved to begin, I never looked back. It was as if I was experiencing a whole new life within a very short period of time. By the time I was done with the first week, the stresses I was experiencing had begun to subside a great deal. My attitude towards the people close to me begun to change too and I begun to smile and could occasionally find myself humming songs something I had not done in a while. I begun feeling as if I was regaining something about me that I had lost.
Since meditating, I have become calmer than I always was. I tend to smile and be happy most of the time. I am more radiant and posses a positive energy that was never there or was hidden by the daily stresses of life. This meditation has taught me what my mind has always limited me to and given me a method to move away from this constant struggle. It has given me a new lease of life. It is a journey that all humanity should embark on as it is very freeing. I have become more open minded and can accommodate many things I could not in the past. I always thought of my religion as superior and down looked others or even judged what they do. Now I understand more and the barrier I had created has already crumbled down and I see people as one.
My relationship with others has greatly improved. I used to judge a lot, always wanting to win in all situations be it debate or when giving opinion. I believed in myself too much at the detriment of others and my whole life was on a pedestal. I saw things only in my view and did little to consider other people’s opinions. Now things are a lot different, I am very aware of the people around me something I had not stopped for a moment to think about before doing this meditation. I understand people and take them the way they are. I used to impose myself on others, now I just let them be. Am more accepting and clear when it comes to putting a point across. I judge less and respect other people’s views and opinions.
I owe everything to this meditation and am glad I met it when I did. It’s a very humbling process and I wish that many people in the World if not all give it a chance.
Source : Woo Myung
