For some time, this has become a specific center point in spirituality: the idea that the mind will become silent, even thoughtless. And even though we may have some periods of low activity of the mind… most of this idea is better connected with the experience of attention and intention.

Let’s say, for example, you want to cook a meal for a loved one, and it’s a dish you have never prepared, and you want to honor your guest. Your intention sets an internal environment: ensuring you have the right ingredients in the right quantities, following instructions precisely, seasoning it, serving it, and so forth. All of these steps require your utmost attention. You may have music playing in the background or even a podcast, but it will not be your center of attention. The more your attention and intention are prevalent, the less you will be distracted by any external input. You are focused and present.

That is a way to experience silence, even if the mind is there. It can become a background noise, and you can move your attention away from it. This requires discipline and effort, but the more you practice your attention and intention, the more the mind settles into a place that is not the center of your experience.

Throughout history, rituals have been followed in all of our cultures. They are important in religious and spiritual contexts since they aim to engage you in a practice through which you can be fully present and connect with higher consciousness. Your presence ignites the power of the ritual. If these rituals are done unconsciously, they become mechanical and automatic events. The mysterious esoteric magic that lies within them becomes hidden. 

Rituals also hold the wisdom of surrendering to higher consciousness. The human mind tries to control many situations that are indeed out of our control. Rituals are a way to communicate with higher consciousness: they involve intention, attention, and offerings, which are vehicles of our requests and needs. They become a bridge between realms and realities. We remember that we offer what we carry to open space for what is coming. 

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.