We think of meditation as a spiritual practice or as a tool for reducing stress. But what do they have to do with learning a new language? Actually, meditation is the ability to be fully focused on whatever activity we are engaged in in the present moment. An artist captivated by his work, or an athlete fully associated in the body and its every movement and nuance are meditating.
The antithesis of meditation is multi-tasking. I am riding my motorcycle while texting my friend, eating lunch and planning my afternoon meeting. The problem with that is lack of depth. The biggest challenge through time in learning a language is remembering thousands of words and their proper context. It is virtually impossible to do this efficiently without creating deep associations. Without associations memory melts like snow in the sun.
What are the principal elements of meditation? Focus. Relaxation. Comfort. Effortless patience. Pleasure.
We have already mentioned focus: the one-pointed concentration on a piece of information and the use of multi-sensory associations. This really is the great key. Which do you think you would remember faster: your neighbor’s social security number or the number to a Swiss Bank account in your name containing $500,000? The difference would be the focus applied to memorizing.
Relaxation and comfort are also vital. Stress is really a form of pain. Can you dance if there is a nail poking through the sole of your shoe? So get comfortable. Study in a place you enjoy, a place which relaxes you and makes you feel comfortable.
Effortless patience is an interesting one. Meditation gives you the ability to be fully present in your body, to enjoy the physicality of the moment you are living, to let your thoughts move through as clouds in a Summer sky. Every physical, mental or emotional experience that surfaces becomes the source of your meditation. Applying this to memorization is very fruitful. You are fully associated as you process, code and imprint the new words. Someone who enjoys reading poetry would automatically do this.
Pleasure is the direct result of all the other aspects, whether you are sitting in meditation, painting a portrait or learning new vocabulary words.
So there you are! Meditation is another powerful tool to be applied to learning a language.
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