I have a friend who is a hard charger. He has high energy and can tackle almost any problem with a zest that is admirable. He is relentless in trying out different options to solve the problem of the day. Most people admired his ability to do so many things effectively. When praised for this attribute he confided that it was sometimes a problem for him, even though there were obvious upsides. We talked about this for a while and it became apparent that he had trouble slowing down. He would go from problem to problem tirelessly.
His wife had started to meditate in a group of friends. They went on a retreat and were immersed in ways to center, and spent hours practicing. After returning home she meditated daily, initially for 10-15 minutes and then expanded it. She saw subtle changes in how she felt. She became more reflective, less reactive, and noticed a peacefulness that she had not seen before. The changes were gradual but steady. She talked to my friend about how much she had benefitted from this new practice and encouraged him to give it a try. He went with her to a one day class to learn the basics. He found it difficult to do and was frustrated. He tried it for a few days, didn’t find it helpful and stopped doing it.
Several years later he came across a different type of centering that was called “guided meditation.” He would listen to a CD that had a soothing voice and peaceful music. It led him to experience some things that he found easier to stay with. He began to do it for a few minutes a day. He learned that studies showed a significant benefit from 5 minutes of meditation a day. He was willing to commit to that.
He is now an advocate of meditation. His practice was different than his spouse, but both realized benefit from it. After listening to his experience it seemed like a good thing to learn more about. There is so much literature out there about the benefits of meditation as well as the various approaches. It’s certainly worth a look!