Title of Work
Description of Work
I heal through meditation.
Upon turning 13 years old, I began the practice of meditation under the tutelage of Hindu priests in Chennai, India. The expectation of this experience was to learn to clear out all distractions, focus intently on breathing and recite certain passages of Scripture.
At the time, meditation involved sitting cross-legged and reciting certain phrases 1008 times. The hot, muggy weather and mosquitos that plagued summers in Chennai made this task even harder. While difficult and seemingly purposeless at first, I began to appreciate and better understand the power that meditative practices provided in the following summer months. Specifically, I learned to become more cognizant of the daily avalanche of extraneous thoughts that barreled through my head, which allowed me to better understand and control my subconscious mind.
As I grew older, distractions in the form of friends, school, and sports took up a bulk of my time and my once daily meditative practices became increasingly infrequent. During my college years, I hardly meditated at all.
Interestingly enough, the anticipatory stress induced by Block 1 exams led me to revisit the idea of meditation. I began using it once again, but now as tool to cope with the rigors and anxiety of medical school.
“You should sit in meditation for twenty minutes every day — unless you’re too busy. Then you should sit for an hour.” -Buddhist proverb
Recommended Citation
Rau, Sanjay and Kollar, Ryan
(2016)
"Theoria,"
Akesis: Vol. 1:
Iss.
2, Article 16.
Available at:
https://dune.une.edu/akesis/vol1/iss2/16