Meditation is not a punishment for not being ‘spiritual enough’

My inner resistance to a daily practice

Of all the practices I came across during my spiritual awakening 9 years ago, without a doubt meditation has been the most life transformative. Of course, I’d heard about it and knew people swore by it, but I didn’t decide to tune-in until age 40.

They say we find what we need, at the time we are ready.

As I learned about various meditation practices — clearing the mind, walking meditation, receiving Divine light, connecting with my Higher Self, I came across a channeled message called the Steps to Knowledge. It was an invitation to commit for 365 days, to contemplate the big questions about life, existence, why I am here. I accepted.

I had no idea how a daily meditative practice would change my life. Perhaps I still can’t quite grasp the impact of that single commitment. At the time, I still worked in the corporate world, so to keep this promise, I got up at 4:30 in the morning, dutifully, every day. I bought a beautiful wooden meditation chair with carved eagle claw feet and positioned it in a prominent place in my living room. I was on my way!

It seemed simple in the beginning — read the teaching and take the contemplative question within, listening for insights and…