It’s my intention for you to become open to meditation, to peak your curiosity enough that you decide to give it a try. And then for meditation to become your happy pill, your go-to tool for when you feel stressed, tired, need some guidance, a confident boost, support and/or to feel loved. Clearly, I got a whole lot of intentions for you when it comes to meditation.
And with good reason…
It’s because meditation can do so much for you! It took me forever and a day to get down with meditating and I wish I had started sooner. Now for you, I understand you may have no desire to meditate, not believe in it, not want to do it, or say that you’re too busy.
Well, you’re missing out homey.
How Meditation Helps You
Meditation provides answers, insights, reflections, support, and guidance that you cannot access anywhere else. When you meditate you are connecting with a power greater than yourself… greater than google.
To me, meditating is where I download the messages, insight, love, support, and/or answers from God, the Universe, my Guardian Angles, or from my higher self, my soul.
Without meditation, I would be so lost. I would be depended on only my small, little brain to take me through life.
That sucks.
Considering our brains can only function and see/do so much.
Being dependent on yourself only, and trying to live this life all by yourself… well, it’s really hard isn’t it? It’s freaking overwhelming, difficult and just hard! Life can be hard! We can freely admit that! It’s not always rainbows and unicorns, six pack abs and green juices. Life can be hard.
Like I said, it took me a long time to get into meditation. I couldn’t deal with sitting still. At the time, I thought there was just one right way of doing it… sit still and think about nothing.
Sitting still made me squirm and itchy. It reminded me of the things I needed to add to my grocery list and oh, I better go add them right now before I forget.
Whooshhhhh. There went my peace.
Experiment With Different Types Of Meditation
When you catch the chatter in your head, you’re supposed to bring your attention back to your breath, but this was easier said than done. Eventually, I realized that there is no one way of meditating that is right, and so I began experimenting with all different types such as guided, musical, singing bowls, walking, chanting and so on.
I encourage you to do the same.
If one form of meditating does not resonate with you, try another, it’s so worth the effort. I kept going and reached that point where now meditating opens the channels for me to receive support from my Creator, my Angels, and my Soul.
I have a whole team of magnificent and Infinite Intelligence here to support me and guide me to living a freaking awesome life.
Best part? You have the same team too.
Meditation is just as essential to my self-care as exercising, sleeping and eating right. I hope that after reading this post, you’ll want to give meditation a try, and get to know your own team members, because as beautiful, wonderful and amazing as this life is… it does at times come with its own set of storms… meditation allows you to get in touch with your team members so you don’t have to go through this life alone.
Why Meditate
Mr. Buddha pretty much summed it up, but I’ll elaborate…
- Mediation will strengthen your intuition. You’ll begin to trust yourself more and more.
- The benefits of meditation are scientifically proven. In just 15-20 minutes you can reduce stress, anxiety, depression, gain clarity, peace and overall improve your wellbeing.
- Meditation connects your mind, body and soul. This is super important! When we sit in stillness, when we shut everything out, we can hear the little messages that our subconscious, our body, and God (The Divine, The Universe, The Mother Lode, Elvis, whatever your version of God is) are trying to give us. It is when our intuition comes out. It’s when you receive signals via feelings or thoughts that can help you with whatever is going on in your life.
- Meditation strengthens your inner compass. You make better choices in your everyday life when your inner guidance system points due north.
- The little voice in your head becomes stronger and wiser, so maybe next time you’ll listen to it when it tells you that it’s a bad idea to attend your ex-boyfriend’s wedding. Or that it’s time to take a leap of faith, quit your job, and execute your God-given right to pursue happiness.
How To Meditate
So again there is no ONE right way, but here are my 7 steps to getting started…
1. Start Slowly
If you’re not following a guided meditation or doing an active, walking meditation, then set your timer for however long you want. If you’re new to meditating or sitting still, in general, start with 5 to 10 minutes and work your way up to 20 minutes. Don’t rush it. Start with whatever time frame is comfortable for you. Over time, and with practice, you’ll NATURALLY find yourself wanting to meditate for longer periods of time.
2. Get Comfortable
Ideally, you want to be seated either cross-legged, or your feet firmly planted on the ground. Sit up straight. Relax your jaw, your neck, your shoulders. Place your hands, palms up, on your knees.
3. Breathe Deep
To begin, take a deep breath in through your nose filling up your stomach like a balloon, and then exhale out through your mouth. Repeat this four more times. This will help your body and mind relax, and get “in the zone”.
4. Focus On Your Breath
After your five initial deep breaths, continue breathing in and out through your nose. Focus on your breath as it goes in and out.
5. Don’t Judge Your Thoughts
If your mind wonders, that’s okay. Don’t be mean, don’t judge your thoughts, just notice them, let them go, and then bring your attention back to the rhythm of your breath going in and out.
6. Don’t Judge Your Practice
When it’s time to end your practice, first, don’t judge your practice. Whether you were “in the zone” the entire time, or you thought about what you were going to be making for dinner… it’s important not to judge the practice. You did show up and you did your best. Secondly, end your meditation with a nod of acknowledgment for showing up for your practice. Feel proud of yourself for making the time to meditate. It doesn’t matter if your practice was 5 minutes or 50 minutes. What matters is you took the time and you showed up. Don’t judge your practice, acknowledge it.
7. Repeat Daily
One thing that helps make meditation a daily part of my life, (and one I look forward to) is discipline. I make the commitment to myself to show up to that mat every single day. It doesn’t matter if it’s only for 5 minutes, what matters is that I show up every day to my practice. Thanks to my discipline, I have become more open and comfortable with meditating, and now I spend 15-40 minutes daily sitting in silence, not itching or thinking about my to-do list. So, honor your practice by showing up daily to your mat/cushion/chair or wherever you meditate. With discipline and consistency, you will see why everyone is falling in love with meditation.
