This is the grandson of a friend of mine. His name is Roddy. He's meditating, while listening to music on his tablet. How many six year olds do you know who meditate? Well, this is not an ordinary little boy. I'm firmly convinced that little Roddy is an old soul. His grandmother tells me that while he does what so many of us ought to be doing, but don't, once he's done meditating, he's right back to being a six year old little boy, and of course, that's as it should be. I am aware that meditating brings so many benefits to those who engage in the practice, and while I don't meditate in the typical manner, such as you see here with Roddy, in my own way, I do meditate. The Merriam Webster definition of the word meditate reads as follows: 1. to engage in contemplation or reflection. 2. to engage in mental exercise (such as concentration on one's breathing or repetition of a mantra) for the purpose of reaching a heightened level of spiritual awareness. So given these definitions, you might be surprised to find that even when you don't think you're meditating, you very well may be. In fact, I dare say that most of us, at any given moment, when we're deep in thought (while deep thought isn't always meditation, i.e. brooding over some unpleasant experience), if we're listening to soothing music, as Roddy does, and quiet our minds, then yes... we are meditating, perhaps not in the traditional manner, but when we put ourselves in a quiet place, and engage in contemplation or reflection, then yes, that is one form of meditation. However, I am in no way minimizing the effects of traditional meditation. If you Google "the effects of meditation", you'll likely find the following: Meditation is one of the modalities used in Ayurveda (Science of Life), the comprehensive, natural health care system that originated in the ancient Vedic times of India. The term "meditation" is now loosely used to refer to a large number of diverse techniques. According to Vedic science, the true purpose of meditation is to connect oneself to one's deep inner Self. Techniques which achieve that goal serve the true purpose of meditation. Neurological and physiological correlates of meditation have been investigated previously. These (techniques) include contemplation, concentration, use of nature sounds such as the ocean, guided meditation, meditative movement exercises such as Yoga and tai chi qigong, breathing exercises, and Mantra. Some forms of meditation are easy, some are more difficult, but those who practice meditation, I believe, will attest to the benefits thereof. The article I found on the benefits of meditation says that meditation provides inner peace and bliss, which remove the accumulated stresses of life, with the result of energizing the body and improving overall health. So considering the benefits we realize when we meditate, for me, it's a no brainer. We could take a number of medications to relieve stress, but those medications usually have a variety of side effects, one of which can be death. So while the only side effects related to meditation include inner bliss and overall health improvement, one way to save on the cost of prescriptions, especially those prescribed to relieve stress, why would anyone choose any of these stress relieving drugs over meditation? Why indeed. 🙏