Last Updated on July 10, 2018
- If you’ve been looking for a reason to start meditating, let this be it. If meditation can help a soccer team trapped in a cave stay calm, what can it do for you?
- After two weeks trapped in a cave, Thai soccer players may experience heightened intuition.
It’s been hard to avoid a roller coaster of emotions when thinking about the Thai soccer team trapped in a flooded cave in recent weeks. Being claustrophobic myself, I couldn’t imagine being stuck in a dark, damp cave, unsure whether I would ever be able to get out.
When the soccer team first went missing, I must admit I was pessimistic about their fate. But then they were found and I felt relieved. Soon my anxiety returned when I kept hearing about how difficult the rescue mission would be. When one of the divers, Saman Kunan, died during the rescue mission, I felt like the situation seemed helpless. Now that the boys have been rescued, many wonder how they managed to stay calm throughout the process.
Well it looks like one of the answers to that question is Buddhist meditation. Apparently the boys’ soccer coach, Ekapol Chanthawong, spent 10 years as a Buddhist monk. According to news reports, Chanthawong taught the boys to meditate while they were in the cave. In an interview with The Washington Post, the coach’s aunt reportedly said about him: “He could meditate up to an hour. It has definitely helped him and probably helps the boys to stay calm.”
One of the greatest benefits of meditation is that it calms the mind and in a sense, it separates you from volatile emotions. When you meditate regularly, you might find yourself becoming somewhat of an observer to the circumstances that are affecting you in your life.
Will the Thai soccer players experience heightened intuition?
A side benefit of separating yourself from those emotions: you can better sense your intuition. The quieter your mind, the more intuitive you are. Many people describe a heightened sense of intuition when they begin a regular meditation practice. That’s why meditation is typically a part of psychic development courses and exercises. It can be a game-changer in your ability use your psychic gifts.
As the boys regularly meditated, it wouldn’t surprise me to find that they sensed that they would be rescued. Again, calming the mind gets rid of the noise that’s blocking you from your intuition spider sense.
So how can employ the power of meditation in your own life?
Create a routine.
Don’t leave it to chance that you will meditate. Find time every day by setting it aside. The earlier in your day that you do it the better; not only will it help you to feel calmer throughout the day but once you get it over with, it’s done.
Cap the time.
I must admit, I used to feel intimidated by the idea of meditating for an unknown block of time. I think a part of me felt like I could lose myself in meditation. What helped me was setting a time limit. I began to set my iPhone alarm to go off in 20 minutes when I started my meditation practice each day. Over time, I was able to lengthen that period.
Try a course.
If you have difficulty getting yourself to meditate on your own, try a meditation course. The structure and the support might be what you need to finally start a successful meditation process.
If meditation can help save a soccer team trapped in a cave, what can it do for you?
