When I started meditating, I lost my motivation to exercise. My desire to compete and “be the best” essentially disintegrated. Then I became a little diluted thinking all of life’s answers could be found within sitting on a cushion. Sitting around introspectively isn’t exactly the secret to fitness, but who cares, as we’re just masses of bubbles, right?
I’m discovering that I simply didn’t know how to enjoy being a meditator in the world. Instead of accepting myself and living peacefully in the world as a meditator, I needed to defend my new beliefs. Everyone became a threat to my belief system rather than an ally in the quest to discover truth. Everyone has their own set of life experiences, and their own inner truth. How can we tell each other what this inner truth is?
The initial years of my life with meditation could be boiled down to learning to love myself by accepting who I am and letting go of the baggage. I wonder if the next phase is simply learning to love others by accepting them as they are and letting go of their baggage. Maybe I’m just now learning how to unconditionally love others.
This process has started to lead me beyond my cushion and into the world. While my early 20s travel bug was seeking excitement and adventure, now I want to be out in the world to experience it’s peace and truth. In order to grow within, I need to grow in the world, and to grow in the world, I need a healthy body. My motivation to exercise and take care of myself is rising, and now I’m curious to discover what type of activities this new motivation leads me to.
