Can Solving Rubiks Cubes Be Considered Meditation?

Unraveling the Zen in the Rubik’s Cube

In the hustle and bustle of our daily lives, finding a moment of peace can feel like searching for a needle in a haystack. Enter the Rubik’s Cube – a seemingly simple puzzle shrouded in complexity. While at first glance, it might look like just another brain teaser, delve a little deeper, and you’ll find it’s a veritable pathway to meditation. But the question lingers, can twisting and turning this colorful cube truly be considered a form of meditation?

The Meditation in Manipulation

First, let’s break down what meditation is all about. Meditation is often seen as a practice of mindfulness, a method to anchor oneself in the present moment, casting aside the cacophony of our thoughts and the outside world. It’s about achieving a state of calm, where the mind becomes silent, and you become an observer of your own thoughts and surroundings.

Now, let’s shift gears and look at Solving a Rubik’s Cube. At face value, you’re engaged in solving a puzzle – aligning colors across all faces of the cube until each side is uniform. However, delve into the process, and you’ll realize it’s a rhythmic, repetitive action that demands unwavering focus, demanding that your mind stays rooted in the now, tracking past moves and calculating future ones. Lo and behold, the similarities with meditation begin to crystalize.

1. Focus and Concentration: Solving the cube enhances your ability to concentrate on a single task, drowning out distractions. It’s akin to focusing on your breath during meditation.

2. Patience and Perseverance: Like meditation, working through frustration and maintaining patience is part of the journey. The cube teaches you to persevere, a skill that’s valuable both on the meditation cushion and in daily life.

3. Mindful Awareness: The act of solving the cube hones your awareness, as you become acutely conscious of each twist and turn. It’s a practical form of mindfulness, where your awareness is squarely on the physical and mental actions involved in solving the puzzle.

4. Stress Relief: Engaging with the cube can be incredibly therapeutic, providing a sense of achievement and relief that mirrors the stress-reducing qualities of meditation.

A Cube Apart

However, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. While solving a Rubik’s Cube shares facets with meditation, there are earmarks that set them apart. Traditional meditation advocates for an emptying of the mind, a detachment from thoughts and actions. Meanwhile, cubing is goal-oriented; your brain is constantly engaged, churning through algorithms and strategies.

Yet, it’s this very concentration, this singular focus, that bridges these seemingly disparate activities. By narrowing your world down to just you and the cube, you’re essentially meditating, albeit in an active, dynamic form.

So, could mastering the Rubik’s Cube be a modern-day take on meditation? Absolutely! Whether you’re a seasoned cuber or a curious newbie, embracing the cube as a form of meditation might just be the twist you need to bring a splash of Zen into your life. Trust us, it’s a journey worth embarking on, one twist and turn at a time.