Through meditation we can tap into the power of our soul. Many people live without realizing its power. All the treasures such as knowledge, love, fearlessness, connectedness, and bliss reside within our deepest self.

The soul is the source of tremendous wisdom, love, and power, yet we remain ignorant of it because we are currently lost in the world of illusion.

Despite our condition, the empowered soul exists within ourselves. It is our true nature, and to reclaim it—so we can tap into its gifts that will enrich our lives—we need to develop our meditation practice.

The cumulative effect in meditation

Patience   Nevertheless, we cannot expect to achieve our goal in the twinkling of an eye. For example, when our houses, roads, and parks need repairs, we generally wait for warm and dry weather. Once we begin, we realize that despite our efforts, the renovation won’t happen overnight. It takes time. Ultimately, day by day, with concentration and effort, our project moves forward, toward completion. The same can be said for meditation. The cumulative effect of our daily efforts helps us achieve our spiritual goals.

Minute by minute increments

Deeper states of consciousness  When we meditate, these daily efforts should bring us to deeper states of consciousness. If today we meditate for half an hour, let us sit for thirty-one minutes tomorrow. If we can then increase our time in meditation minute by minute, then in due course, we will be able to sit for ten percent of our day, which equals about two and a half hours. Once we are able to sit for over two hours, we can eventually increase that time to meditate for three hours. If we are enthusiastic about the benefits of our meditation practice, then from there we may want to develop our practice further, so that we can sit for four hours, and then five hours.

Retraining our attention

Daily practice  Many people learn how to meditate, but they do not practice it to the point of perfecting their ability to withdraw their attention. To do so, meditation needs to be practiced daily. At first it is not easy to retrain our attention from focusing on the outside to focusing within because our habit has been to focus on the world around us. However, we need to sit with a still mind. We need to close our eyes and keep our inner gaze focused on whatever appears in the field in front of us. This means unwavering attention with no intervening thoughts. If we keep our mind still, we will begin to see the glorious treasures awaiting us within.

It’s important to realize that we can’t expect to achieve our meditation goals all at once. Rather, let us proceed slowly and steadily. This is the same strategy we use when we are faced with a heavy load. When something is too heavy to lift, for example, we will often divide it into smaller parts. In this way, we are able to succeed. By taking methodical steps, we, too, will eventually perfect the practice of meditation and move toward spiritual enlightenment.

Reap the benefits of practice

Reaching our goals  It is possible to lead a balanced life, wherein we spend time in daily meditation while raising a family, having a job, and performing selfless service. By doing so, we begin to reap the benefits of our practice which results in greater concentration as well as increased calm and well-being. So let us increase the time we sit in meditation each day and take strides toward our spiritual goals.

As our concentration deepens, we will begin to discover our own potential. We will experience a profound transformation that enriches all areas of our life—from personal relations, to physical, mental and emotional health, to our spiritual growth as well as the attainment of our life’s goals. This transformation brings peace and joy into our lives and contributes to a peaceful, loving world.