I don’t know about you, but when I think about meditation, I think of a thoroughly solo endeavor.

Cut to earnest individual with eyes closed, sitting in a field all by themselves.

Right?!

Sure, you can meditate with someone else, but it’s not anything they can do for you. It’s not like you can be lazy and ask someone to cover your meditation duties while you go off shopping.

That said, my meditation got a whole lot better and a whole lot richer when I asked for help.

No, my helpers weren’t able to cover for me while I went shopping.

It was even better than that.

It all started when I took a class in meditation over a decade ago.

At the time, I had already been meditating for years, and I was pretty sure I wasn’t going to learn anything new. After all, the class was an introductory class. I was only taking it because it was a requirement to start my ministerial studies.

Nothing like a closed mind going into a new endeavor!

Luckily, my attitude didn’t stop me from letting in a key piece of new information.

I could say that the new information didn’t come from the class, because it wasn’t something the teacher uttered. The new piece of information did come while I was sitting in class, however.

Looking back, I would say it was my willingness to take the class, even though I brought my attitude along, that opened a space for something new.

Here’s what happened:

One class session, while we were talking about the specifics of meditation practice, an idea popped into my head.

Ask for Help.

Right away, I knew what it meant.

All these years, I had been meditating alone. It had been just me and my mind.

For me, meditation was about connecting with a Higher Source. I had just never thought to ask for help from a Higher Source in doing so.

What a concept!

Ask for Help.

I put it into practice right away.

Before each meditation, I asked for Help from Spirit. I also thanked Spirit, in advance, for Its help.

And wouldn’t you know, my meditations improved immediately.

Like, way.

In my case, I was guided to some new techniques, including counting my mantra with my fingers to reign in my especially-hyper-monkey-mind.

I was also guided to focus my attention on my heart during my meditation, a practice that has enriched my life tremendously.

All in all, it was an amazing turnaround.

I still ask for Help before every meditation.

I highly recommend it.

Indeed, asking for Help is a great idea no matter what you’re doing.

But there’s something especially rich about asking for Help with spiritual practice.

After all, one of the great revelations of spiritual practice is that we’re not alone.

Ever.

We’re profoundly connected to each other and the entire Universe.

Asking for Help to understand this interconnection makes sense.

For me, being willing to ask is deeply tied to the willingness to be connected.

So while meditation is a solo endeavor, it’s ultimately not a solo endeavor.

No, we don’t get to hand it over to someone else so we can go shopping, but connecting with the essence of All is way better than shopping.

(Unless you’re talking about an all-expenses-paid shopping spree at REI after hours. That would be a close second.)

What is your experience of asking for Help? Share your comments below!

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