ALL ABOUT MEDITATION

Meditation is a must-have tool to have in your arsenal of personal development techniques. It evokes a sense of clarity, calm & collectedness. The benefits are undeniable and getting started is much easier than its made out to be. If you can sit comfortably and focus on your breath, then you can meditate. The best part of all is that you can literally meditate anywhere. Your bedroom, the park, the subway, your uber ride, even at a music festival or night club.

The earliest recordings of meditation date back to 1500 BCE in India.. Meditation or (Dhyana) were first mentioned in The Vedas, which are the most ancient Hindu scriptures. Over time it has grown, evolved and developed in many other forms across the world.

So, how does this ancient practice have any relevance today? In so many ways. Every day we are bombarded by thoughts, concerns and opinions that are not our own. News, talk radio, billboards, our friend who needs to vent, someone complaining, social media. Whew!! It can be so overwhelming. Not to mention the monkey mind that exists within. Basically, what I’m saying is, that there is alot going up there, all of the time.

Why did they end Game of Thrones like that?  I need to find a new show to watch. Why hasn’t Michael texted me in two days? Is he ghosting me? Well its his loss. Oh, I am so hungry right now. I need to stop by Whole Food later. Isn’t it Grace’s birthday this weekend? What present should I buy her? Oh, it is almost Halloween, what costume should I wear? I need to book flights to Art Basel. I should just text Michael and see what he is doing. No, play hard to get. I should catfish him with posting a sexy selfie on Instagram to get his attention. Oh, I can’t believe Tracy and Paul are getting divorced. I like being single. 
– Some of the random thoughts that go on within 10 minutes of thinking.

Think of your mind like a white board. This whiteboard is imprinted by everything you take in through your eyes and your ears. After awhile your mind’s white board looks like that crazy white board from a second grade coloring free-for-all that was never erased. Meditation allows one to disidentify with ego and comb through all of the thoughts, concerns and opinions. We can decipher what’s useful & discarding what’s not. It wipes the white board clear & gives you a clean slate, to build a fresh perspective.

MY EXPERIENCE

I took a transcendental meditation course in 2014.

From  2014 – 2016, I meditated 202 times with a total of 36 hours and 51 minutes for four years. Not like I was counting or anything?!

The best I had was four consecutive days in a row so definitely not consistent and my daily average time was 11 minutes. In transcendental you are supposed to meditate 20 minutes in the morning and 20 minutes in the evening. 11 minutes is far from the 40 minutes.

Before, I left for my trip to Asia, I started seeing a hypnotherapist who creates MP3’s on reprogramming your brain. I took this 24 minute MP3 with me to Asia and listened to it almost every day for 4 months and that was the catalyst for my dedication to meditation.

I started noticing a difference in my overall energy, my attitude towards relationships and helped me manage my emotions in a more rational way. Yes, of course I still had emotions arise but they would only last for 15- 20 minutes and then quickly dissipate instead of the lingering emotions that can last all day.

(Thanks for the Insight Timer app, it records your meditation time)

HOW TO MEDITATE

There are a plethora of methods and techniques from across the world, so getting started can sometimes feel a little intimidating. Have no fear though, it’s a very simple process to begin.

Create Sacred Space– Create a physical space in which you feel safe & comfortable in. Also create space in your schedule so that you can put the to-do list aside.

Get Comfortable– It’s as simple as that. Find a comfortable seat whether its on the floor, a chair or a cushion.

Get a Timer/StopWatch– It can be the timer or stopwatch on your phone. Use a timer when you’re on a time crunch. Try out the stopwatch once in awhile just to see how long you will go without a timer.

Start Your Timer & Take a Deep Breath– Start your timer, close your eyes, take a deep breath and get all the wiggles out. Repeat your breath and use it as an anchor for your mind to focus on.

Focus On Your Breath– Your mind is going to wander. It’s okay. Each time you start to notice a thought tangent just bring your attention back to your inhale. When another thought arises, do the same. Do this again and again and again and viola` you’re meditating.

Reflect & Record– The thoughts that arise can be very insightful during meditation. Take time to reflect after your timer rings. Notice any thought patterns, bodily discomfort or energetic disharmonies. If your time allows jot down a few notes in your journal about your experience.

As you practice more, you’ll get the hang of it and create your own experience. Some advice that helped me along my journey was to start small, be gentle with yourself & meditate more frequently for shorter periods of time.

If it’s your first time meditating, maybe go for 2 minutes once a week before signing up for that 10-Day Meditation retreat. Meditation is a mental exercise and should be treated as such. Start with small, attainable goals that can grow with time.

Science has shown that it is more beneficial to meditate for shorter periods more frequently rather than longer periods of time with less frequent sessions. Meaning that it would be more valuable to practice for 5 minutes before bed everyday, than to practice for an hour every Sunday.

Also remember to be gentle with your experience. This is all in the name of personal development & bettering ourselves. So be kind if your struggling, your body feels uncomfortable or you just don’t want too. Give it a break and return to it when you feel ready.

BENEFITS

The benefits spread across a multitude of avenues between the physical and metaphysical realms of our well being. Some of the ways you can benefit from meditation are:

• Lowering your blood pressure
• Reduce the release of the stress hormone cortisol.
• Boost your immune system.
• Slow age-related atrophy of the brain.
• Mitigate anxiety and depression.
• Improve focus & productivity.
• Improve relationshio
• Enhance creativity
• Strengthen your connection to your intuition.

Meditation is not a cure for all your problems, but the benefits are undeniable. Remember that meditation brings you into awareness about certain aspects of yourself but, does not fix them for you. Awareness is only half the battle. Use your new found clarity & energy to pave the way of new decisions.

What are your favorite ways to meditate?