To Meditate is to Love

My name is Sara and I'm 22 years old. I met Manos Sin Fronteras more than a year ago, thanks to my partner Giorgio who was already a volunteer for a long time. I decided to do the courses after I was invited to a very nice meditation. I didn't think it would have such an effect on me, instead it made me understand that there was something to discover, something I felt I wanted to know more about.

Not even a month later I already had the complete Neural Stimulation technique. I started using it right away, for over a year now, I've been meditating every day, even doing self-treatments.

Often many people don't feel like being constant and committed every day. We take things as being a duty instead of a need. After some time meditating every day, it became an event that I could not do without. Not because it's a rigid habit, but because it feels good. After all, it's only five minutes. It seems little, but it's not: they help in many contexts. The virus panic that is spreading can be reduced thanks to meditation, as well as the anxieties and fears that are tearing us down.

Meditation is not a Zen practice, whose name evokes exotic and oriental scenarios. It should not only be traced back to those contexts, but to the human being himself. Mankind is a special being in many ways. We do not distinguish ourselves from animals just because we possess rational thought or language, but also because our mind has the power to help us fulfil our every wish.

I believe that meditating is a gift we give both to ourselves and to others. Something precious that goes beyond all expectations. It makes us feel better and, if we are well, even better! If we are well, then even those close to us can benefit from our fortress. Meditation is a gift for us and for others. I could try this on myself. A deep work, these 5 minutes, that allowed me to overcome difficult moments, to feel good about myself. I began to see the effects when my university friends told me, with pleasant amazement, that they saw me "well". Slowly, even the people closest to me sent me back greater serenity and relationships began to mend.

Meditation makes you stronger. This makes it possible to cope better with emergency situations, containing the tension and agitation of the heart. But there is more to it than that. When I have a difficult day when several misfortunes happen all at once (forgetting the house keys, denting the car, forgetting to send an important email...) and I feel that I am about to burst, I meditate for 5 minutes. Empty my mind for a few seconds or a whole minute if I'm able, calms me down. I feel my heart calms down, my breathing gets slow and I recover strength to continue.

I believe that meditation helps to develop a sense of Love, a love that goes beyond sentimental relationships or friendship, a true and authentic Love that starts from within us. The world in which we live is in great need of Love and the pursuit of Peace is also achieved in this way.

The pandemic and meditation

Meditation is often considered a fashion. For some time, however, it has been talked about as a project in schools. In England it is already active, to ensure greater well-being for young schoolchildren. Also in Italy the scenario is evolving in this sense. It is not yet an everyday activity in the classroom, but there are many projects that are being considered for implementation, especially in the Bologna area.

Those who meditate can enjoy numerous benefits. From the drop in bullying to a greater concentration in one's work, from improving the quality of sleep to strengthening the immune system. Especially in this period of pandemic, it is necessary to stay strong and balanced. Meditation helps not only to relax, but also to make us less ill. This is possible thanks to the communication that is created between body and mind. These two elements are strongly connected. If we are serene, our body will benefit, but if we allow ourselves to be overwhelmed by fear and panic, our internal defences weaken.

Meditation is a very important tool in these days of battle against the coronavirus. It's something we can all do, at home, in a very short time. 5 minutes are enough, in fact, to restore our inner balance, to recharge ourselves and to face daily life. The mind, if left without thoughts for this interval, will be more rested and we will feel stronger, not only emotionally but also physically.