Q: Dear Todd, how to meditate without a motive
TODD ANSWERS: Meditation doesn’t need to come with any motive or goal in mind. We may be driven to learn and practice meditation to quit an addiction or to become happier or more focused. But even if it’s just curiosity, that’s a motivation. Something inside you made you wonder if there was more to life, if a greater level of happiness was possible, and if there was a deeper way to experience life.

Somewhere along the way, the idea got into your mind that there could be some use or benefit to better understanding your own mind. Whatever it was that sparked an interest in meditation in you, it was because you were not finding lasting happiness outside of yourself, and the idea of looking inside of yourself resonated with you on a very deep and unconscious level. We’re all called back to ourselves to find that true source of joy. Even our wild chimp cousins take a daily break from swinging to sit in stillness, peace and quiet.