Gain Frequent Bouts of Contentment

While we are training the mind to be still, we reap numerous benefits from our practice —our stress level is reduced, we become more peaceful, our ability to concentrate improves, and we notice more frequent bouts of contentment.
~Yogacharya Ellen Grace O'Brian (from her book The Jewel of Abundance: Finding Prosperity through the Ancient Wisdom of Yoga)

When we begin a daily meditation practice, it can be discouraging to notice for the first time how busy our mind wants to be. However, after as little as eight to ten weeks of daily practice for twenty minutes or more, we begin to reap the benefits. Our default mental state becomes more peaceful and it takes more external stress to knock us off balance. We notice thoughts of anger or fear as they arise and can more easily deflect our attention to a more positive place. One of the nicest benefits at this stage is enhanced intuition. We notice serendipitous little mental breakthroughs that open our consciousness to solutions we may have missed before meditation. We are on the path to contentment and freedom.