Give Yourself the Gift of Meditation
You will often hear me say that meditation is one of the best gifts I have ever given myself. It is funny that I say that now because for the longest time I resisted learning seated meditation. I have been practicing yoga for over 18 years. Yoga is considered a moving meditation so I never saw why I needed to practice a seated meditation. It just felt like one more thing I had to fit into my day.
I had been introduced to seated meditation many times by many different teachers. I would practice it for a little while and then I would get frustrated because I could not for the life of me figure out how to quiet my mind. When I was in a class I would peek at everyone else while we were supposed to be meditating. They all looked so peaceful and serene and I was sure they were able to quiet their minds. So the question became, why do I suck so bad at this?!? I would inevitably lose interest quickly.
When there is a lesson we need to learn it will continue to show up in your life until you are ready to learn it. Luckily, this was the case for me when it came to practicing meditation. I took a class with an instructor who was teaching mindfulness meditation. He taught me that if you sit down to meditate you are already doing it right. You don’t have to stop thinking, you can get distracted by sounds, body sensations, emotions, or moods. The whole idea is that you create more awareness around each of those things when they pop into your mind.
We spend our entire day thinking. But how often do we pay attention to the fact that we are thinking? When you meditate you want to acknowledge the thoughts, sounds, body sensations, emotions, or moods that come into your mind and then let them go. You don’t let yourself get caught up in the stories that go along with them. You notice them and then you return your focus to your breath.
The best part about meditation is that you can’t do it wrong! Even if you sit down and find that you are thinking the whole time you are still aware that you are thinking. This is a step in the right direction. If we don’t know how all over the place our mind is then we can’t try to change it.
Meditation has taught me so much about myself. I am less reactive. I am calmer. I am more willing to speak my mind because I am more tuned into what happens in my body and mind if I don’t. I am more forgiving of myself when I mess up. I am less anxious. I am more present.
I start every morning off with meditation. I usually sit for 20-30 minutes but if I only have 5 minutes then I will sit for 5 minutes. It is time I carve out for myself every day. It no longer feels like one more thing I have to do but something I want to do. If I ever miss a morning my body and mind will crave that quiet time. Sometimes I will sit later in the day even if I sat in the morning. When I feel out of control or like I am going to lose my temper I will go sit and close my eyes to calm myself. It is a mirror for me to really see myself, the good and the bad, without judgement. It truly is the best gift I have ever given to myself.
It doesn’t matter what kind of seated meditation you decide to do. It doesn’t matter how long you sit. Find a practice and a time that work for you. We can all find 5 minutes every day to dedicate to ourselves.
Are you interested in starting a seated meditation practice? There are so many free resources out there. There are apps like headspace, calm, and insight timer. Check them out and see what you connect with. Have questions or need help? Let me know in the comments and I’ll get back to you. I’m happy to help!