The current crisis is bringing out the best and worst in people. We’re seeing many acts of kindness by those stepping up to help. And on the other hand, scrambling to hoard supplies at any cost and fights for the last roll of toilet paper on the grocery shelf.

How does the typical meditator view and manage a crisis? Very differently, it turns out.

The best meditators are Self-Transcendent, which means that they can think and go beyond the personal self. It’s interesting to see how their behaviors are radically different from most people.

  • During a crisis that lasts a while, we build up reserves of patience and energy to be able to withstand more stress. Of course, our meditation routine and the reserves of energy we have built up over many months really helps. We don’t panic and even if we do, we can see clearly that we are and should not.

  • We don’t try to react to or manage everything. Instead, we first eliminate all those changes and challenges we can live with and prioritize the rest. It’s better to focus on fewer things and manage them well. Our health, spirituality and financial situation matter the most. We can live with drastically modified food and living habits. We can draw entertainment and joy from simply meditating more. We don’t need to socialize all that much and get together with people in the real sense, only be there in spirit for them and with them.

  • During a crisis, our meditation involves a greater degree of surrender to the natural, all-pervading force. We get the power to work to act and do its work without trying to rush in to solve every problem. 

  • We use adversity to test ourselves – our behavior, patience, ability to live without what we want the most. Most of the time, we take this up as a challenge to our character and personality.

  • We monitor our reactions – we react less and witness more

  • We complain less or not at all, since it breeds negativity, stay focused and positive

  • We avoid excessive mental activity, instead, staying at a higher consciousness to prevent the unnecessary onslaught of thoughts from the past and worries about the future.

  • We focus on the positives, for instance, now is a great time to work on our relationships, reconnect with people who we were too busy to interact with. Or opportunities to lose some weight or learn a new skill that we’ve always been putting off.

  • We enjoy the comfort of our spirit, the inner self – we do not need external stimuli to make us happy. If anything, a crisis is a good time to go even deeper into ourselves when the world isn’t expecting us to interact a lot with it.

  • We know that it’s not a question of if, but when and how the divine power will interfere to resolve the crisis – and while it does, we make the best use of this time to introspect on the lessons to be learned. 

  • We think more about sharing and less about taking from the community, we try to give much more in return.

  • We use this opportunity to introduce spirituality and meditation to people as a way to change their lives and help them get through the crisis.

How to use meditation to change your life

  • Make it a long term commitment
  • Be ready to explore and experiment
  • Be patient and give it time to grow and become a vital part of you

During these difficult times, we’re increasing the number of online sessions and are now offering sessions throughout the week. We’ve been serving communities across countries for 50 years.

We’ve never once asked anyone to pay for anything – our mission has always been to make meditation and spirituality freely available to people.