Our mind is with us all the time, influencing everything we do, say, feel, think, and believe about ourselves and the world. It is potentially a great instrument, but for many, it is often a source of suffering.

 

In meditation, we have the possibility to work with our mind directly and move beyond at least some of this suffering. By shifting from auto-pilot programs and habitual thought patterns into self-observation, we gain insight. This process naturally begins to expose and release mental knots we’ve carried for years—or perhaps lifetimes.

 

We can spend years in therapy, attend countless spiritual workshops, practice family constellations, devote hours to yoga, explore ayahuasca, or do intense breathwork. These are all powerful and beneficial practices. But without gaining direct insight into our own mind, we will never be truly free. Our conditioning will haunt us indefinitely, keeping us at its mercy.

 

By becoming more conscious and lucid in daily life, and by changing our habitual ways of thinking and behaving, we gain the power to break free from our patterns as they arise. Our personality shifts, and life becomes an empty canvas on which we can create beautiful things, untainted by the past.

 

Meditation is not really a practice for the cushion—it is a shift in identity. Silent retreats and formal seated practices are just instruments. Ultimately, the goal is to become more and more lucid, in every waking moment. 24/7.