Okay guys, let’s do this. I know the topic of meditation can be a bit confusing, so I’d like to start off with a brief introduction to give you an idea about it. One purpose of meditation is to shift your focus from the external environment to your inner world, to what you think and feel. In meditation it is possible to move beyond the analytical mind and enter the subconscious, where our habits and possible unwanted behaviors reside. Studies even found that brain wave activity actually changes during meditation. For me personally meditating doesn’t necessarily mean sitting cross-legged on my yoga mat, with my fingers forming a mudra, feeling all peaceful and in harmony – an image that comes to mind quite quickly when you’re thinking about meditation. I remember that especially in the beginning I found it very hard and exhausting to sit up straight for a few minutes and my mind would just remain in restlessness. So I just tried to find a way that works for me and therefore I’d like to give you an insight to my meditation journey.
Meditation is not a way of making your mind quiet. It’s a way of entering into the quiet that’s already there. – Deepak Chopra
Even though meditation was part of my yoga teacher training I started in April 2015 it honestly didn’t really make a lot of sense to me at that time. Looking back now I can see quite clearly that I used to work out mostly to distract myself, trying desperately to avoid focusing on my inner world: my feelings and fears and pain I didn’t want to see and wanted to turn away from. There’s more about the physical aspect to come in another blog post, I promise. I still catch myself getting tangled up in distractions. I make excuses not to take the time to sit down and meditate and tell myself “it’s too late”, “I don’t have time” or “this and that is more important”. The truth is: there is nothing more important than your own well-being. That might sound selfish, but I have found that I can be a better person, for me and for those around me, when I am centered and at peace with myself. And that means not to look away from what’s inside. Even if it’s scary or uncomfortable. Over time when life challenged me, I gradually started to ask myself: “How do I react when life doesn’t meet my expectations?” And life rarely ever does meet one’s expectations, right? Very often things turn out completely different than we imagined them to be, either in a positive or a negative way. Well, I try to stress about those things less, but rather to simply take life the way it is and meet life’s situations with acceptance. I also try to question recurring thoughts that come up in challenging times and try to figure out where they come from. Sometimes those thing work very well for me, sometimes they don’t. I still have days, sometimes weeks where I don’t meditate at all, even though I know it benefits me greatly. Life is ever changing and I think the best one can do is to willingly adapt again and again to those changes. It’s a process. Find what works for you and start from there.
An easy way to start a regular meditation practice can be to do a short meditation in the morning or in the evening (or both if you want). In the beginning I would suggest bringing your awareness to your breath to shift your focus from wandering thoughts to your body and to simply relax. The following guided meditation takes only a few minutes and can be done anywhere at any time if you want to calm down a bit, bring your awareness to your body and ground yourself.
SHORT & EASY GUIDED MEDITATION
Find a place where you can sit comfortably for a few minutes without disturbances. You can sit on the floor, supported by a wall or on a chair, whatever is comfortable for you. If you fall asleep easily I wouldn’t recommend meditating in bed.
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Sit up straight, gently close your eyes and start focusing on your breath, just notice it and don’t try to evaluate or change it. Take a few deep breaths in and out through your nose.
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Then inhale to the count of 1 and exhale to the count of 2. Next, inhale to the count of 2 and exhale to the count of 3. Inhale to the count of 3 and exhale to the count of 4. Continue this way up to the count of 10 or less if that’s too much for you, no pressure. Do 4-5 rounds and then let your breath flow naturally. Notice how you feel and start to scan your whole body beginning at your scalp progressing down until you reach your toes. How does your body feel? How does each body part feel? Take as much time as you’d like for this. When you’ve completed the body scan, sit a few more minutes in silence. You can work with positive affirmations if that’s something that works for you. Affirmations are a wonderful way to set an intention for the day ahead or to end your day in a positive state of mind.
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For questions, concerns or even complaints please feel free to leave a comment ♡
Book references: Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself by Dr. Joe Dispenza