Returning to innocence
An unexpected benefit of daily meditation
Over the years of practicing Vedic meditation, something that has emerged in my life is an increasing sense of innocence and simplicity. I think back to a moment last year, sitting in front of my vaidya, an āyurvedic physician, during an appointment. He commented that it’s an important quality to have, a state of innocence, and it’s something that can become clouded over as time passes. When I think of Vedic meditators, both my own teachers, my friends and the students I teach, many of them carry or begin to develop this subtle quality. An open-mindedness, a childlike joy twinkling behind their eyes, a loving, sweet and easeful presence.
Innocence can mean many things. And it may not be a quality that first comes to mind when we think about what we aspire to or wish to cultivate in our lives. I know that it wasn’t something I was seeking when I first learned meditation eight years ago. And yet, as I reflect on the many gifts my practice has given me, it is this experience of innocence that stands out, something that I find myself holding close to my heart lately.
Fullness of awareness.
Innocence derives from innocens in Latin meaning ‘not to harm’. In its modern usage, it is often tied to its legal sense of being ‘not guilty’ or ‘not having done harm’. But on a deeper level, the innocence I’ve been noticing is more of a gentler state. One where there is no over-layering or imposition. It’s like when no single part of us is interfering with what is. There is, in a way, a kind of non-violence in that process. A way of being that does not force or control, but rather allows something to unfold without any interference.
For me, innocence is not naivety or ignorance. It is not a lack of awareness. If anything, I would say to experience innocence is to be full of awareness! A kind of awareness oriented with a boundless and sweet openness to the present. Think of when you were a child. There’s often a natural curiosity there. There’s a lightheartedness, a wonder and an awe for life. An open mindedness that doesn’t jump to conclusions or tries to anticipate what’s about to come next. I also feel that the state of innocence is part and parcel with the state of love. There’s a compassionate view towards others, one that doesn’t judge in snappiness or fear, or assume things cuttingly. It’s the kind of awareness that admits it doesn’t know everything, the kindness that gives the benefit of the doubt, the generosity in choosing to see the wholeness in another.
Returning to another way of being.
Often, we move through life layering past experiences, expectations, and ideas onto what is in front of us. Prior to practicing Vedic meditation, we may not have noticed how much our unprocessed stress shapes the way we perceive. We overlay the past onto the present, and in doing so, we can limit our ability to fully engage with what is happening or to be open to all the possibilities and potentials a single moment could open up to.
There is something deeply beautiful about returning to innocence. Allowing our hearts and minds to soften, to slow down, to let go of needing to know. To be a little more playful. To observe gently, with awareness. It becomes easier to see the beauty, the wisdom in each experience, and allow something new to reveal itself before us, without rushing ahead in conclusions or holding ourselves back from possibilities.
An innocent practice.
At its heart, innocence and simplicity is central to the practice of Vedic meditation. We don’t force, we don’t try, we don’t control or even engage in evaluating ‘success’ or ‘failure’ after a sitting.
“What we do in our meditations is: not expect anything, innocently experience everything.” - Maharishi Mahesh Yogi
We close our eyes without expectations and we allow the intelligence of the mind-body to do its thing. When we try or even interfere with the process, we actually create strain. And so we begin to favour effortlessness and innocence, letting the process of meditation unfold in its own unique way.
“Process of meditation is innocent. Any thought from our side, any desire from our side, any analysis from our side, any expectation from our side, only becomes resistance to it.” - Maharishi Mahesh Yogi
There is so much wisdom that arises from this practice. But there is even more so, which is embedded in the process of the technique itself. The things we learn with our eyes closed inevitably seeps into our eyes open experience of life.
Overtime, something begins to shift in how we perceive. As we regularly return to a quieter, more settled state within ourselves, we find that gradually, this begins to soften the layers of stress and conditioning that shape how we see the world. And what then naturally emerges is this quality of innocence, a way of experiencing life with more freshness, openness, and ease. Our nervous system becomes more spacious, more flexible, more sensitive and attuned. We begin to sense the intelligence in all things, we become open to the subtle pulse of beauty in life, the aliveness of our world, the joy of connection, the vast within the small and the infinite within the immediate. These are the things that are so precious, so powerful and profound.
Innocence is one of the qualities that makes me return to my practice and to share it with others, again and again. The way it meets me as I come out of meditation, the way it connects me back into the heart of everything, is one of the most important qualities I continue to nourish and prioritise. To end, here is a beautiful beginning of a poem by William Blake that captures what innocence feels like and the way it opens us to the fullness of the world around us. I hope it inspires your practice and remind you of the many possibilities that come from settling into your Self, day by day.
Auguries of Innocence
To see a world in a grain of sand
And a heaven in a wild flower,
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand
And eternity in an hour
Jai Guru Deva
Victoria x
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