What is it about people in high-output roles such as ER physicians, CEOs and others in upper management, entrepreneurs, nurses and yes, busy mothers, that leads them into emotional imbalance? Consider: Competent, driven people focus on how to navigate and succeed in the external obstacle course of living, such as financial and professional achievement or the demands of raising children. They pour their hearts and minds into becoming successful. These demands leave little space for learning to manage one's own emotions and inner life.

The world has always been a loud, messy, unpredictable place. With COVID and climate change and social unrest, and it can look and feel overwhelming these days. It's hard sometimes to see a hopeful perspective. These are the very reasons we can't make the mistake of looking to the world—or even our own nervous system—for a sense of hope, stability and sanity. In a crazy world, with our thoughts and emotions spiking and diving wildly, we have to look elsewhere. (No, not to ice cream. Sorry!)

Meditation has revealed to me how deluded my mind is, and happily, how sane. It's also shown how I can grow the sanity and set aside the craziness, little by little. Meditation is a kind of mental mirror. It requires a little personal courage, because like looking in a real mirror, we don't always like what we see. As we sit quietly with ourselves, we see with greater clarity our mental patterns, helpful and unhelpful. We witness the patterns of distracted attention, and over-thinking.

I often teach meditation practices when conducting a retreat, and yet, it's always good to know why you're doing anything - whether during a retreat or otherwise. When a therapist or teacher recommends meditation, it's important to know what the intention is- why is it "good" for you. This video lays out four basic intentions or purposes, of meditation and why it can be beneficial during a retreat and afterwards as a regular practice.