Particle of Sand: the Art of Meditation

Excerpts from an Interview with Lynne Cardinal, Conducted by Tanya Witteveen as part of her Master’s Degree in Human Kinetics at the University of Ottawa

Tanya: Lynne, could you explain how meditation works?

Lynne: Traditional meditation serves to calm the mind and create a sense of deep inner peace. Through meditation, we gain a certain distance from our thoughts and develop a different, more complete perspective.

When this occurs, a new kind of awareness emerges, accompanied by a calmness and perspective that may elude an overactive or anxious mind.

Ken Wilber describes the contemplative experience as one of “vast openness and freedom and lightness.” [i] Meditation can indeed foster a healthy sense of inner confidence, not a feeling of superiority, but rather greater self-acceptance, objectivity, and freedom from habitual mental constriction.

Indeed, meditation gives us a healthy sense of self-confidence. This is not a feeling of superiority, but rather a greater degree of self-acceptance and objectivity.

Tanya: What happens when we begin meditating regularly?

Lynne: When we begin a regular meditation practice, the first step is to gradually calm mental overactivity.

I like to use an analogy to describe what happens within us during meditation.

Imagine an aquarium filled with water, with sand at the bottom. Take a stick and stir the water. You will see the grains of sand swirling around and clouding the water. The grains of sand represent our thoughts, while the water represents our mind.

In general, our state of mind can seem clouded. We wake up in the morning and our thoughts immediately begin to swirl: “I have to do this, go there, and remember this or that.”

All too often, our mind is in a state of overactivity. It is busy planning, thinking, remembering, anticipating, or worrying.

We therefore live either in the past or in the future, but rarely in the present.

Tanya: Do our thoughts stop as soon as we sit down to meditate?

Lynne: No. When we meditate, we could say that we remove the stick from the aquarium. Yet we are often surprised by the number of thoughts that continue to circulate, even while we are sitting quietly.

At first, the swirling may even seem to intensify, simply because we are observing it directly. In reality, we are becoming more present and more aware of the mental activity that was already there.

This is when some people say, “Meditation does not work for me. I cannot calm my thoughts.”

Yet meditation is working exactly as intended. We simply need to be patient.

Tanya: What happens when we continue the practice?

Lynne: The swirling gradually slows, and the grains of sand begin to settle at the bottom of the aquarium.

With time and practice, our thoughts become calmer.

Furthermore, if we meditate long enough, perhaps for approximately 20 minutes or more, the sand eventually settles and the water becomes clear again.

This is when people often tell me, “After certain meditations, I open my eyes and feel as though my vision has improved, the colours seem clearer, and my sense of smell is sharper. Most importantly, I feel much better in both my body and my mind.”

Tanya: Can we experience a profound sense of peace during meditation?

Lynne: Yes. During meditation, we can sometimes experience a profound sense of peace.

To illustrate this, think of the ocean, whose surface is generally very active. If we descend just beneath the surface, we can still perceive the movements taking place there, the waves and the lapping of the water. However, if we descend more deeply, we are no longer affected by the surface movements in the same way.

Similarly, during meditation, we learn not to remain completely absorbed in the movement of our thoughts. By gently directing our attention toward a stable point, we discover a quieter space within us that remains present beneath our thoughts and mental agitation. Gradually, this space becomes more accessible and leads us toward a deeper, more peaceful, and more balanced state of mind.

Tanya: Do the benefits of meditation extend into daily life?

Lynne: Yes. A regular meditation practice not only gives us a sense of mental and emotional balance, but also develops our capacity to deal with the more complex situations of daily life.

It therefore also serves as a form of prevention. When stressful situations arise, we will be better prepared to face them. We will then be able to respond with greater calm and balance.

Tanya: Does a sense of stability eventually develop through practice?

Lynne: After a few weeks or a few months of regular practice, a sense of stability may begin to develop in our lives.

In Sanskrit, the language of the ancient sages, this is called sthiti. The term refers to a state of fundamental equanimity, an underlying balance that becomes increasingly established.

This does not mean that everything will always go perfectly. Rather, it means that we will be better able to deal with life’s challenges. In a sense, we will develop the feeling of having become the Observer of our experience.

We will feel less as though we are constantly rising and falling with the waves of the ocean. Our true stability will reside deeply within us.

Tanya: Sometimes people feel frustrated because they believe they are not obtaining tangible results. It seems very difficult not to judge our meditations or have expectations.

Lynne: Indeed. We judge according to the concepts we have acquired and according to what we believe to be good or bad. This is what we have been taught.

We judge constantly. We judge ourselves, but we also judge other people, our work, our relationships, our yoga practice, and even our meditations.

Yet there will be days when a meditator feels very peaceful during meditation. The person may then believe that meditation is finally bearing fruit. Certain experiences can be remarkable, but we must remember that they are transitory.

This can become very frustrating if we depend upon these experiences or expect to relive them during every meditation. Therefore, if our next meditation brings many thoughts instead of a remarkable experience, we may feel disappointed.

This is when we may think, “I am not capable of meditating!”

In reality, our objective is to practise regularly, regardless of the experience we have during meditation. We simply need to observe our thoughts.

As is often said, to meditate, you simply need to sit down and close your eyes.

Do not judge.

Choose a technique that suits you and persevere gently. The rest will follow naturally. It is a matter of being patient and continuing the practice each day.

Tanya: Why is it so important not to judge our meditations?

Lynne: Refraining from judging our meditations is essential. This lighter and less judgemental attitude—or at least an attitude involving less judgement—will also accompany us into our daily lives.

We will become less demanding of others and more patient with ourselves.

When we meditate, we gradually reconnect with our essence. All forms of meditation are based on a clearly defined process, and the results are supported by perseverance.

We can feel confident that nothing harmful will occur during meditation when we practise under the guidance of a qualified teacher and use appropriate or traditional techniques.

Let us therefore appreciate each of our meditations, even when we have many thoughts.

Let the thoughts pass while remaining calm, objective, and unaffected. Then simply return to the technique.

Some meditations will be less peaceful than others, but each one contributes to a gradual and cumulative process of transformation. Every meditation has its place.

Tanya: Does meditation necessarily develop concentration?

Lynne: Of course, meditation naturally leads to concentration. This is not an intense or strained form of concentration, but one whose essence is gentleness.

Gradually, this gentleness permeates the mind, bringing with it a new perspective, a broader awareness, and a deeper sense of presence.

Every meditation remains unique.

Nevertheless, there is always a profound sense of satisfaction, the feeling of having created a little more balance within the body and the mind.

In this way, a gradual and cumulative energetic balance develops and eventually becomes integrated into our daily lives. This kind of concentration therefore leads to balance. When this balance is lacking, anxiety can arise in both the body and the mind.

Tanya: Can this be described as a form of training?

Lynne: Yes, certainly. If the mind is scattered, we accept it, become aware of it, and then return to the technique we prefer.

A certain amount of effort is required, but it is a gentle and patient effort. This means recognizing that meditation is a gradual process.

With time, a profound transformation takes place within the mind. I have experienced this directly. Over many decades, I have recognized gradual transformations within myself, just as those who meditate regularly recognize them within themselves.

Over time, people who meditate regularly often develop greater lightness of mind, a deeper sense of well-being, and a greater ability to move through anxiety.

This does not mean that they will always be happy or perfectly serene, because we remain human and continue learning throughout our lives. However, their way of experiencing life can become more conscious, richer, and more elevated.

Tanya: Does this transformation depend primarily on regularity?

Lynne: Yes. It is based on the effects of daily practice. It is a form of training that gradually leads toward calmness and wisdom.

Yet our evolution continues, and this is what makes the practice so fascinating. I believe that our potential is unlimited. I remain sceptical of those who claim to have attained ultimate knowledge or perfection.

I believe that evolution is unceasing, and this is what makes life so wonderful and intriguing.

Tanya: How does this evolution manifest itself in our relationships and daily lives?

Lynne: We learn to live with greater awareness. We become more attentive to what we feel, our genuine needs, and our limits, while also developing greater sensitivity toward the needs of others.

This awareness helps us respond less impulsively. We take more time to listen, reflect, and choose a more appropriate response rather than acting under the immediate influence of emotion. We also become more capable of recognizing situations that cause us to lose our balance and of regaining our calm before tension becomes established.

In our relationships, this can lead to greater patience, listening, and discernment. We learn to express our needs more clearly without imposing them, and to respect the needs of others without forgetting our own.

Gradually, a sense of unity unfolds. We understand more deeply that our well-being and the well-being of others are not separate. This understanding fosters relationships that are more conscious, balanced, and harmonious.

A sense of unity then begins to unfold.

When we meditate regularly, we sometimes feel a need to meditate. When our mind becomes agitated, as it inevitably will, we now recognize it more quickly and know how to restore our balance.

It is essential to recognize when it becomes necessary, whenever possible, to interrupt our activities and replenish our energy.

Tanya: Is this an ability that is particularly lacking in our society?

Lynne: Yes. The problem in our society is that people generally do not know when to stop.

Their lifestyles are often so active that they do not realize they need rest until it is too late and they are already exhausted.

Being sufficiently aware to know when to stop, take a few deep breaths, and devote a few minutes to meditation could help prevent several negative consequences, particularly fatigue and exhaustion.

Tanya: Is this one of the reasons people sleep poorly? Does the agitation of the day continue into the night, leaving them unable to stop it?

Lynne: Yes, this can certainly play a role. People who meditate regularly usually sleep very well.

At first, a daily meditation practice of 15 to 20 minutes may be sufficient. With time, meditators also learn to recognize when they need to take a brief pause during the day or spend a few minutes meditating.

This ability is an invaluable tool for preventing anxiety.

Tanya: Does meditation also help us establish our priorities more effectively?

Lynne: Yes. Meditators learn to establish their priorities. They understand the value of a peaceful mind and recognize that taking the necessary time to regain this state is not selfish, because ultimately everyone benefits.

An agitated mind can create discord and lead to a variety of difficulties, including relationship problems and insomnia. By contrast, a stable mind fosters a state of balance and peace.

I like to say that meditation gives us the quintessence of energetic balance. Its benefits are experienced in both the body and the mind. It can also give rise to a natural sense of satisfaction and profound inner relief.

When this inner calm becomes more accessible, the need to constantly seek some form of escape, relaxation, or comfort outside ourselves may lessen.

Some people sometimes attempt to find this relief through alcohol or other substances. Meditation obviously does not replace professional support when an addiction is present, but it can contribute to the development of more conscious and lasting ways of restoring calm.

Tanya: What are the main steps that can help us develop a more stable state of mind?

Lynne: The following steps can contribute to this:

1. A daily meditation practice
2. A better understanding of how the mind functions and of its mechanisms, preferably, especially at first, with the help of a guide
3. The study of philosophical systems based on meditation

Tanya: Is discipline essential for progress?

Lynne: Meditation requires a certain amount of discipline, accompanied by patience.

Changes, like all forms of transformation, generally occur gradually. However, meditation has a cumulative effect. Every meditation counts, even those we believe were not useful.

We simply need to persevere.

Eventually, we realize that we have made great progress and that a new paradigm has become established. We then experience a sense of inner balance.

Tanya: Can hypnotherapy be integrated into a meditation practice?

Lynne: Although hypnotherapy is a distinct modality, it can complement meditation.

Hypnosis can help a person achieve specific goals within a relatively short period. Meditation, by contrast, is a daily practice whose effects develop more gradually and cumulatively. It is therefore a long-term approach.

These two modalities work very well together. The guidance of a qualified person, whether in meditation or hypnosis, is extremely valuable.

Tanya: What can these practices reveal about our inner potential?

Lynne: Within each of us lies a vast and often unrecognized potential that is waiting to be discovered and nurtured.

I am convinced that most people do not fully appreciate the extent of their capacity to evolve. We can learn, transform ourselves, deepen our understanding, and develop new ways of inhabiting our lives at any age. This evolution does not always follow a straight line, but it remains possible throughout our existence.

When we explore this potential with patience, awareness, and kindness, we gradually discover inner resources we did not know we possessed. We become better able to regain our balance, welcome ourselves with greater love and respect, and recognize what genuinely supports our well-being.

This more intimate knowledge of ourselves also helps us discern with greater wisdom. We learn to make more appropriate choices, respect our limits more fully, and move forward with deeper confidence in our own path.

The more we discover this inner richness, the more we understand that evolution is not a destination to be reached, but a living movement that continues to reveal us to ourselves.

[i] ¹ Steve Paulson, “You Are the River: An Interview with Ken Wilber,” Salon, April 28, 2008.

© Lynne Cardinal