We tend to let go of pleasant emotions and cling to unpleasant ones. Ninety-nine per cent of the world does this. However, when consciousness becomes free and cultivated through meditation, the tendency to hold on to negative emotions simply disappears. We start living in the moment and are able to let go of the past. Misunderstandings can arise in any relationship, regardless of the people involved.

Even a small misunderstanding can distort our emotions and lead to negativity. But if we are able to let go and focus on the ability of consciousness to revel in the glory of every moment, we are shielded from this. The truth that every moment is supportive of our growth dawns upon us. Attaining higher states of consciousness does not require any complicated strategy. One simply needs to learn the art of letting go—and that is meditation.

Meditation is letting go of all anger from the past and of past events, as well as letting go of all planning for the future. Excessive planning can hold you back from diving deep into yourself. Meditation is accepting the present moment and living each moment totally and deeply. This understanding alone, along with a few days of continuous meditation practice, can change the quality of your life.

Meditation leads to happiness, fulfillment, and greater intuition. It helps us perceive the world as a part of ourselves, allowing love to flow strongly between us and the world. This love empowers us to withstand opposing forces and disturbances in our lives. Anger and disappointment become fleeting emotions.

The confluence of knowledge, understanding, and practice makes life complete. As you grow into higher states of consciousness, you find that you are no longer thrown off balance by situations and disturbances. You become beautiful yet strong—a soft, delicate blossom capable of accommodating different values in life without conditions.

Meditation is like a seed. The better a seed is cultivated, the more it flourishes. Similarly, the more we practice meditation, the better it nurtures the entire nervous system and body. Our physiology undergoes a transformation, and every cell in the body is filled with prana (life force). As the level of prana rises, we begin to bubble with joy.

Keep in mind three laws while meditating: I am nothing (akinchan), I need nothing (achah), and I am going to do nothing (aprayatna). When these three qualities are present, meditation becomes effortless. Meditation is letting go of anger, past events, and future planning. It is accepting this moment and living every moment fully and deeply.

(This World Meditation Day, on 21 December, join the world’s largest meditation event with the global humanitarian and spiritual master, Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, on Gurudev’s official YouTube channel.)