As I delve into becoming better, “younger in spirit”, emotionally and mentally healthy. I’ve started to look into meditation as a viable option as part of my life upgrade.
Charlotte Liu is a friend of mine from the co-op and will soon be my meditation teacher. She has been practicing meditation for 20 years and teaching for at least 10 years. I got a chance to ask her about some of the benefits of her practice and how she got into it. And would you believe she just turned 40!? Yes ma’am.
How and why did you start meditating?
I had asthma since I was a small toddler. And it was becoming worse in my teenage years. I started meditating at 19 with hopes that it would help my asthma but I was sceptical. My first experience I thought it was going to be boring and I would fall asleep. But I felt a lot of restlessness, couldn’t keep my eyes closed or sit still for 8 minutes.
After that experience, most people would be like I can’t do it. What made you keep going?
It certainly got me curious and I felt the challenge and that interested me. and so I started practicing about every other day. One night, I had a really bad attack and I couldn’t sleep. Everyone in the house was sleeping. I was too lazy to study so I said let me use this moment to meditate since I needed more practice. That was the first time I meditated for more than 30 minutes and when I opened my eyes as 35 minutes i realized my asthma attack had stopped without having to use my inhaler.
What is Meditation?
Heart Chan mediation is a practice of all spirit, mind, and body together. Through this practice the spirit transcends and the mind becomes healthier by becoming calmer and happier. The body becomes healthier by becoming more youthful, disease free, and physical energy.
How often and how long should someone practice?
The good effect of meditation is that the cultivation of good energy would last you one or two days. It would be ideal for someone to practice one hour or more a day. One can start for 10 minutes and work their way up. The longer, the better. I currently have a one hour practice.
What’s the best way for someone to get started in mediation?
Ideally you find experience teacher who has actually experience of transcendence. if a teacher has transcended, then they have good energy. the good energy will help you as a student
when you meditate with someone there is always an energy exchange. so for someone who has an experience practice, they have the ability to cultivate pure energy and that will help beginners get more on their way of purification. Imagine someone who has the muscle of meditation, they help you by using their strength.
What are some of the benefits you’ve seen from meditating for yourself and others?
For myself, I was able to get rid of my asthma about 98%. My stress has been dissolved completely. I’ve become younger looking. I’m physically much healthier and energized. My mind is clearer and work became easier.
Some of my close friends have gotten rid of habits like smoking and drinking without any effort. A few other friends who practice, it has helped them with cancer, kidney stones, ibs, long term insomnia all without needing serious medical treatment.
For beginning students, they’ve come back and said they’ve experience less stress, better sleep, and slightly better moods.
What would you tell someone who is sceptical about mediation?
Different teachers make a big difference. A good experienced teacher makes it more effective.
Please don’t be afraid of trying a challenging practice. the benefits are long term and more powerful.
For more information about in person training, access to some national teachers, and online meditation courses, you can visit http://www.heartchan.org/ or email Charlotteililu@gmail.com for free beginner classes in NYC.
