I usually meditate twice a day—once in the morning and once at night. This habit is essential for me. It is essential in the sense that when I skip it, life becomes a little harder, and I begin to feel separated.
The last time I stepped away from meditation was when I came down with a severe flu. I was only away from my practice for a few days, but that short window was enough to spark an unhealthy habit: drinking coffee to force energy into my workday. Deep down, I knew coffee made me anxious and diminished my appetite, but I did it anyway.
Another warning sign was that I stopped working on the projects that bring true joy to my life, like writing and painting. Even simple, routine activities, like going to the gym, suddenly felt impossible.
I have come to recognize these behavioral shifts as signs of inner separation. They are reminders that I am drifting away from my center—away from the sense of wholeness that meditation helps me cultivate. When I notice these signs, I know I must act quickly before they spiral into despair, procrastination, exhaustion, and a deeper sense of suffering.
Many years ago, I came across this passage in a spiritual newsletter:
"I refer to that which Jesus Christ so consistently practiced, and which he has so faithfully taught you—the isolation of worshipful meditation. In this habit of Jesus' going off so frequently by himself to commune with the Father in heaven is to be found the technique, not only of gathering strength and wisdom for the ordinary conflicts of living, but also of appropriating the energy for the solution of the higher problems of a moral and spiritual nature."
Whenever I feel myself drifting from my daily practice, I return to those words. They remind me that if this extraordinary teacher—who left such a profound, lasting mark on humanity—faithfully practiced meditation, why would I deny myself such a divine gift?
When I meditate consistently, I feel connected—to myself, to others, and to something far greater than my individual concerns. Life flows more naturally. Creativity returns. My body feels stronger, my decisions become clearer, and the sense of separation begins to dissolve.
Perhaps this is why the story of Jesus continues to resonate so deeply across generations. Beyond any doctrine or tradition, his life offers one of humanity's clearest examples of what it means to live from a consciousness of Oneness—a constant awareness of unity with the Divine and with all life.
For me, meditation is much more than a tool for relaxation. It is a way of remembering who I truly am; it is the way I carry that unity into each day.