Meditation: Your Daily Rendez-vous with Yourself
A few years ago, I was living at a pace that looked exciting from the outside. My calendar was full, my career was progressing, and I was constantly moving. Yet somewhere between meetings, flights and endless to-do lists, I realised I had quietly stopped checking in with myself.
For a long time, I believed that rest meant taking a holiday, crossing another destination off my list, or waiting for the weekend to arrive. What I really needed wasn’t more time away. I needed moments of stillness where I could hear myself again.
That is what yoga and meditation slowly gave me. Not another thing to achieve, but a place to return to—a quiet rendez-vous with myself.
Ironically, before meditation became part of my life, I had every reason not to try it. I thought I was too busy. I wasn’t sure I could do it properly. And, like many people, I believed a few common myths that almost stopped me from starting.
I Didn’t Think I Needed Meditation
I’ve always believed in taking care of myself. Long before meditation became part of my life, I made time to travel, spend time in nature, practise yoga and invest in experiences that helped me recharge.
What I hadn’t realised was that looking after my body wasn’t always enough. My mind was still carrying the pressure, the expectations and the constant pace that came with working in demanding environments.
Meditation didn’t teach me how to slow down. It taught me how to come back to myself when life became noisy. It became a way of grounding myself—not by escaping reality, but by learning how to move through it with more clarity.
I Thought Meditation Wasn’t for Me
I’ll be honest—I found meditation intimidating at first. There were so many different styles, unfamiliar Sanskrit words and techniques that I wasn’t sure where to begin. More importantly, I wasn’t convinced I could quiet my mind. Every time I sat down, my thoughts seemed louder than ever.
What I didn’t realise is that this is completely normal. Our minds naturally wander between memories, plans, worries and endless conversations with ourselves. Meditation isn’t about stopping those thoughts. It’s about noticing them without letting them carry us away.
Sometimes, meditation also brings emotions to the surface—feelings we have been too busy to notice. That can feel uncomfortable at first, but I’ve learnt that acknowledging them with kindness, rather than pushing them away, is often where the real healing begins. Keeping a journal afterwards helped me understand what was coming up.
Meditation isn’t something we master overnight. Like any meaningful relationship, it grows through patience, consistency and simply showing up.
Meditation will fix your problems.
It would be wonderful if meditation could make all of our problems disappear, but that’s not how it works.
Life will still bring challenges, stressful days and difficult moments. Meditation doesn’t change those situations—it changes the way we respond to them.
For me, it became a way to create a little distance between my thoughts and my reactions. Instead of being carried away by every emotion, I learnt to pause, breathe and respond with more clarity.
My problems didn’t disappear, but I no longer felt overwhelmed by every single one of them.
Meditation Will Make Me Less Ambitious
One of the misconceptions I had was that meditation would somehow make me less driven or less ambitious.
In reality, I experienced the opposite.
Meditation didn’t take away my motivation or my desire to grow. It simply helped me become more intentional about where I invested my energy. Instead of reacting to every situation or trying to control every outcome, I learnt to pause, gain perspective and focus on what truly mattered.
I also remember reading 10% Happier by Dan Harris, an American journalist who turned to meditation after experiencing a panic attack on live television. His story resonated with me because it challenged the idea that meditation is only for people looking to escape the real world. Sometimes, it’s simply a tool that helps us navigate demanding lives with greater clarity and presence.
Meditation isn’t about thinking positive thoughts all the time.
Our minds naturally wander, and we all experience fear, doubt and frustration. Meditation doesn’t make those thoughts disappear.
What it teaches is that we don’t have to believe every thought we have or let every emotion define us.
That simple shift gave me a greater sense of calm and helped me approach life with a little more perspective.
Where to begin
If you’re curious about meditation, don’t worry about doing it perfectly. There isn’t one right way to begin.
Start with just a few minutes. Find a quiet place, focus on your breath and simply notice what comes up without judging yourself.
Some days your mind will feel calm. Other days it won’t. Both are part of the practice.
The most important thing isn’t how long you meditate—it’s that you keep showing up.
I hope meditation brings a little more calm to your mind, harmony to your heart and peace to your soul.
And perhaps, your own daily rendez-vous with yourself.
Namaste,
Jamila