I’m not spouting nonsense; that, ladies and gentlemen, is Sanskrit for ‘Infinite love is all there is‘.

The reason for this? I’ve taken up meditation. I mean honest to goodness, mantra-based meditation, with my legs crossed and my eyes closed. I meditate on my own, or with a group. Last weekend we all sat down on the ground and meditated around a tree.

The result? You couldn’t begin to imagine how much meditation has improved my mind (unless you meditate yourself). It’s only been a couple of weeks but it feels like I can control my thoughts way more than I ever could. Don’t get me wrong – when I sit to meditate, my mind behaves like a child, suddenly interested in every external stimulus and hopping happily from one thought to another. And that’s where mantra comes in – you focus on the rhythm of the mantra to get your mind to relax and shut up.

So what’s the point? I’m not too interested in the spirituality of it (although I do quite fancy the notion that the Divine – if there is such a thing – is present in me and is not external and untouchable). The thing is, all day we’re bombarded with stimuli, with stress and with problems. Our minds are on hyperdrive, just constantly flitting from one task to another – at work, at play. Even while we’re doing mindless things like watching TV, our mind is active, dwelling on the day’s occurrences. So it’s really a big blessing to be able to just sit down in silence for 10 minutes every day and just be alone with your self. Mantra is like giving your mind a lollipop to shut it up so you can get some time to yourself.

I learnt my meditation techniques by joining a class given by Ananda Marga.

How to meditate:

• Set a timer for 10, 20, 30 minutes, or however long  you’d like to meditate for.
• Find a quiet space where you feel safe and where you will not be disturbed by anything (kids, phones, significant others, computer alerts, etc).
• Sit down and cross your legs. Clasp your hands together and let them rest in front of you. Make sure your back is straight and you are sitting comfortably.
• Close your eyes and breathe deeply, focusing on your breath.
• Begin to repeat (silently) the mantra. You can do some research and find a mantra which works best for you. Focus on the rhythm of the words and the meaning behind the mantra.
• If you get distracted (and you will) don’t fight it; instead, bring your mind back to the mantra.
• You will start to feel sensations in your body, like itching. If you can, ignore it. That’s just your body reminding you that you’re still here. It will go away if you keep focusing on the mantra.
• When your alarm rings, start to focus on your breath again and slowly bring yourself back into the present. Whenever you feel comfortable, open your eyes and stand slowly and go about your day.