If you want to benefit from a medicine, you need to take it. Similarly, if you want to benefit from meditation, you need to practice it. But what exactly does “practice” mean when it comes to meditation?

As a follower of Buddhist Meditation Masters in the Tibetan Tradition, I’ll refer to certain concepts and practices in the Tibetan language. In Tibetan, the word for meditation means “to get familiar with” – specifically, to get familiar with our own mind. And just like with anything we want to get familiar with, it takes time and consistent contact. This is what I mean by practice.

For example, let’s consider breathing meditation. We learn the technique and aim to practice for a specific amount of time each day – even if that means just a few minutes at first. The goal is to develop the habit of practicing regularly. As we continue, we can track our progress and see that we are actually meditating – not just sitting with our eyes closed, hoping to stop thinking as many people mistakenly believe.

Meditation is indeed a matter of practice. It’s a journey of gradually getting more familiar with our own mind and developing the habit of practicing regularly. Just like with any habit, it takes time and patience to see results. But with consistent effort, the benefits of meditation can be profound.