What is meditation?
You may have an idea in your mind about what meditation is. What you might not realize is that meditation is actually a lot more than what we generally hear about. I’ve heard many times from people that they tried meditation and couldn’t do it. That’s because they thought it was limited to sitting down, being motionless, and not having any thoughts.
Meditation is far more than that.
Meditation incorporates a variety of calming practices that integrate the body, mind, and spirit, and enhance well-being. Meditation can include sitting still, movement, breathwork, imagery/visualizations, contemplation, phrases, the senses, mindfulness, and more!
The important thing is to find your comfort zone, start there, and gradually dip your toes on the outside of that, to expand your capability and enhance the benefits.
The first form of meditation I ever tried (that I recall) was while I was running. Instead of listening to music, I listened to my breath. I focused on the inhales and exhales and on how my body felt. My next stage of meditation was sitting down to breathe when my emotions were very intense, to avoid panic attacks. It was a form of healing my wounds as I was experiencing them.
I now meditate regularly, in various ways, as a way to prevent wounds. I can honestly say that there is a profound calmness and a feeling that everything is going to be alright that envelopes me when I meditate. It’s a huge difference from when I started! And yes, my mind wanders. And that’s okay!
What’s the point?
This can be very personal, as there are so many benefits. So why would you want to meditate? Well, the benefits of meditation are to reduce stress, anxiety, blood pressure, process emotions, release emotions, get to know yourself better, relax, recover, improve energy flow, heal physically and spiritually, strengthen your mind, find serenity and inner peace, improve emotional intelligence and reduce impact of triggers.
It’s also to hear your inner voice, your truth, increase creativity and patience, improve memory, concentration, attention span, help improve sleep, alter perspective and it can actually alter the brain. Think of it as working the brain “muscles”. We work out our bodies, we understand the benefits - the mind/brain needs the same kind of love and attention.
Guide to meditation
With an understanding of meditation and why so many people practice it regularly, let's look at how you can start practicing it, too!
Challenges of beginning meditation
Before we try to incorporate any new activity/habit into our routine, we gotta know what barriers we’re facing.
1) Firstly, and it’s a big one, concentration. We’re so used to instant gratification and constant stimulation that it can be hard to find the focus. Think of scrolling on social media, your attention span may not even last for a whole 30 second video. If you’re not satisfied or interested enough, you’re moving on. Consider how many times you check your phone every day, taking your focus away from whatever you’re working on.
Solution: Start small! Try a 2 minute meditation. Gradually add on from there. Practice scrolling less and using your phone less.
2) The next challenge is time. Life is busy! You have a job, maybe kids, family and friends and so much on your plate. You may find it hard to find time for yourself in your day.
Solution: Once again, start small! A couple minutes to breathe at any point in your day is helpful. You can also schedule time in your calendar, and put alerts to remind you during your day.
3) Next, motivation! Having the motivation to start any task or to make any change can be difficult. Especially when motivation actually comes after you’ve accomplished a task.
Solution: Try a task that you know you will complete before you meditate to give you that motivational boost. It could be as simple as eating a healthy snack, stepping outside for a bit, doing 5 stretches. Anything that you set as a goal, and know you will complete. You’ll feel successful, and will have more motivation for meditating.
Also remember that motivation is not how we make changes. It all comes down to discipline. Doing the thing even when you’re not motivated. And it gets easier and easier as you feel accomplished for doing it, and all the benefits that come with it.
What other challenges might you face? What solutions do you have to overcome them?
Set yourself up for success
To help yourself get into the practice of meditation, there are a few things you can do to make it easier.
Meditate when you’re already relaxed (but not sleepy).
Practice mindfulness first. Level 1- Focusing on your surroundings when you go for a walk. What do you notice? Use all your senses to experience your surroundings. Level 2- Sitting and being with an object, keeping all your attention on it, noticing it's colours, shape, texture, smell, even taste. Notice how each of those sensations makes you feel.
Try a guided meditation - Join the Circle for free weekly meditations.
Check your perception - what are your thoughts around meditation? Do you notice limiting thoughts, encouraging thoughts, or neutral ones? If you were already practicing meditation regularly, what would that look and feel like? How would that impact you and your daily life?
Leave judgement behind. There's no such thing as good or bad at meditating. It's all just an experience. An experience you can learn from each time.
Reduce your expectations. No one is very comfortable with meditating right away. You aren't guaranteed to immediately experience peace and transcendence, and all your problems won't necessarily be solved. There's no such thing as a "quick fix". Meditation is a practice, meaning it must be practiced- regularly. And there are so many ways to meditate, that you can find one that works for you.
Meditate
Each meditation can begin with finding a quiet place where you won't be disturbed. Get comfortable in a seated position, on the floor or in a chair. Support your back as needed. Give yourself permission to be present in the moment, letting go of whatever you had going on, and whatever you need to do after. Begin with an open heart and an open mind, accepting whatever experience arises.
From here, you turn your attention to the focus of your meditation. Whether it be your breath, an object, a phrase, a question, a song, a movement, letting go of thoughts...
There is an opportunity to be creative with meditation. Enjoy it!
Whether you want to meditate to regulate your nervous system, to relax, to help you sleep, or to become a spiritual ninja (as is my goal :) ), remember to have patience and be kind to yourself.
Much love,
Andreana♥
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