Meditation practices aim to awaken, sustain, and amplify awareness. Usually, our state needs more awareness. We are too focused on daydreaming, recollecting past events, foreshadowing future possibilities, and concerned with how others may see us and our own stories. This means we are asleep to the true nature of who we are.

The more we practice meditation, the awareness “muscle” is developed. In the beginning, through your practice, you will experience being aware. The more you practice – with patience, the more you will naturally have moments of spontaneous awareness throughout your day. As you continue to develop your practice, the more you move away from practicing meditation to being in a meditative state.

Witnessing is our natural state, and meditation practices aim to return us to this state. The more you engage in your practices, the closer you will move to your natural state: being aware of what you are witnessing.

We have all been there. We are finally in this unique space: internal peace, contentment, relaxation, and contemplation happening naturally… and then, without warning, we bump our heads, an alarm goes off, or any other external influence jolts us, and we lose our zen. Naturally, frustration, small bursts of anger, and the grief and shame of losing something so special settle in.

This is such a natural experience and is the essence of what actual meditation should lead to. All meditation practices aim to build awareness, and by being aware, all experiences produce joy. Experiencing the moments that the mind labels as losing your zen is a gift on its own; they are messengers: they bring something to be seen. Whatever arises is perfect. In the end, it is not about losing something but returning to it.

This can be a very tricky experience, and it depends a lot on the nature of your journey. Having a partner who is inclined to have a spiritual journey can be a gift because it can strengthen the relationship to a foundational level, but if your partner doesn’t feel called to have a spiritual journey, that by no means is a sign that the other is not in their journey. A lot of the time, our desire that our partner should be inclined on a spiritual path – even on our own – comes from the need that the other person should change… and this can be driven by an unconscious controlling push of guiding or directing the others journey, path, and growth.

Accepting the other as they are, with everything encompassing who that person is, is essential for a wholesome relationship. This is not easy or a once-in-a-lifetime experience. We are constantly changing, and the other is also changing. Their change may not be to our liking, but nonetheless, it is change and growth. So, being aware of this can be helpful. So, it is essential to embrace the discovery of who they are and move away from our preconceived notions.

Life is a spiritual journey, and everyone has their unique one. This profound discovery shifts our perception of our partner (and the others) once we embody this realization.