We live in remarkable times. Materially, we’ve never had it better. Information flows at our fingertips, offering instant access to the world’s knowledge. Yet has this abundance made us happier? Unfortunately, the evidence suggests otherwise. In the Western world, mental health challenges are rising dramatically. Countless individuals drift through life without purpose, merely functioning rather than truly living. We’re taught how to be good workers and consumers, but the art of living a meaningful, joyful life remains conspicuously absent from our education.
Perhaps this explains why more and more people are using their access to information to search for something vital we seem to have forgotten—something that can restore meaning and joy to our lives.
Many seekers eventually encounter mysticism in their search. Mystics have existed in every culture throughout history, taking various forms and following different paths. Yet they all share one essential commonality: they seek to establish a direct connection with a higher power through inner exploration. Their primary tool? Meditation.
The Challenge of Choice
There are countless forms of meditation, each with its own strengths, weaknesses, and areas of focus. Faced with this vast array of techniques, many people become overwhelmed or unsure where to begin. Some expect too much too soon, believing they should immediately have intense mystical experiences. When these expectations aren’t instantly met, they convince themselves they’re doing something wrong or that meditation is pointless.
Nothing could be further from the truth! Meditation isn’t pointless, and anyone can learn it. Like any new skill, it requires patience, discipline, and dedication. You wouldn’t expect to sit down at a piano for the first time and play a symphony—why expect instant enlightenment from meditation?
A Simple Yet Powerful Practice
I’d like to share a meditation technique that is both powerful and particularly well-suited for beginners. This practice focuses on something we all do naturally—breathing—but uses it as a gateway to profound inner experience.
The Practice:
- Find Your Seat
Sit in a chair with your back straight. While you’re welcome to sit cross-legged like traditional Indian practitioners, it’s not necessary. What matters is that you’re comfortable while maintaining an alert posture. - Initial Centering
Close your eyes and take several deep breaths through your nose. Allow your body to settle into a relaxed state. Don’t force anything—just let tension naturally release with each breath. - The Key Technique
Now comes the crucial part. Begin breathing in a way that creates a small pause (1-3 seconds) between each inhale and exhale. This pause shouldn’t feel forced—it should arise naturally and effortlessly between breaths. You’re essentially creating a space where you simply exist between breaths. - Explore the Gap
Focus your attention gently on these gaps between breaths. Don’t strain or try too hard—just rest your awareness in these spaces of stillness. Begin to explore what exists in these moments of pure being.
What You May Discover
As you practice, you’ll likely notice something remarkable: in these gaps between breaths, thoughts naturally cease. You might observe that thoughts tend to resume precisely when breathing resumes. But in that space between breaths, there is only silence and deep peace.
Allow yourself to feel into this silence. What qualities does it possess? You might discover that it’s not empty at all, but filled with a profound sense of love. In this stillness, you may experience a deep feeling of safety and belonging that extends beyond time itself.
The Divine Connection
When you touch this experience, you’ve already glimpsed what it feels like to connect with the Divine. You’ve established a connection that you can now nurture and strengthen. This is a crucial realization: the Divine isn’t hidden in some distant realm—it resides within you, has always been within you, because you are, in essence, this Divine presence.
Growing Your Practice
Start with just a few minutes of this practice each day. You might find it helpful to set aside a specific time—perhaps first thing in the morning or just before bed. As you become more comfortable with the technique, you can gradually extend the duration.
Don’t worry if your mind wanders—this is natural. When you notice thoughts arising, simply return your attention gently to those spaces between breaths. Each return to awareness is like strengthening a muscle; it’s not the wandering that matters, but the coming back.
A Living Connection
Remember, this meditation isn’t about achieving some perfect state or extraordinary experience. It’s about discovering what’s already there—the deep well of peace and love that exists within you. Each time you practice, you’re not creating something new but rather removing the veils that obscure your natural connection to the Divine.
The beauty of this practice lies in its simplicity. You don’t need special equipment, extensive training, or perfect conditions. You only need your breath, your awareness, and a willingness to explore the silence that lives between moments.
As you continue this practice, you may find that the peace you discover in meditation begins to extend into your daily life. The gaps between breaths become windows to the Divine that you can access anytime, anywhere. This is the beginning of a profound transformation—one that can restore the sense of meaning and joy that our modern world so often lacks.
May this practice serve as a gateway to your own direct experience of the Divine within.