I have a lot of friends who struggle with meditating and I want to provide an easy way to explore it. I haven’t always meditated. In fact, it’s only really been the last few years that I’ve done this religiously, every day. And…I started out with only 10 min. per day to see if it was for me.
From there, I’ve discovered a ton of online-guided meditations and have now developed my own method that works for me. That said, what floats my boat may not be for you. It’s a discovery and you must be prepared to invest a little time to find out what will turn into your own meditation ritual.
For starters, it’s not as hard as you think and I’m going to give you a few methods to help quiet that noisy and bossy brain of yours. Don’t worry, I have one, too, and there are times when it takes me a while to settle in to the meditation.
Even if I’m anxious about something and upset, eventually I can find that space that I’ve created for myself and let the flow begin.
There are infinite kinds meditations. I don’t want to talk about that but rather touch on technique on how to get into that ‘zone’ and allow you to be mindful and relax…surrender … just be.
The first and most important part is breathing. Slowing down your heart rate and concentrating on your breath is a must and does take practice. So, let’s start with that. As well, make sure you’ve found yourself a quiet space; sit or lay down. Make sure you’re comfortable and won’t be interrupted.
The first thing I do is shift my consciousness to what my breathing sounds like. Start by taking deep breaths in…but ‘listen’ to that. Focus on the sound of air rushing into your lungs. Feel what it’s like to fill up your chest or abdomen with clean air.
Hold your breath. Just for a little while. Count. 1,2,3,4,5… and let that breath out through your mouth. Imagine that you’re breathing out all of your worries, your anger, your hurt, and your fear. Draw a deep breath in and pull in your joy, the sunlight, your bliss, LOVE and beauty.
Do this a total of 10 x, all the while just listening to the sound of your breathing. In. Out. In and out again. Soon, you’ll feel more relaxed and focused so that you can begin the next step.
All sorts of annoying thoughts are going to interrupt you. They will be extremely insistent and may come in the form of demanding questions or reminders.
Did you feed the cat?
Remember to call that client!
Acknowledge these thoughts, thank them, and set them aside, assuring them that you’ll address them in a little bit. But for now, in the moment, it’s just you and your breath. In…and out…
You might have to do this a number of times, at first, but with practice, in time you’ll become a pro. Trust. Believe in your worth and allow yourself this space. You only exist in this very moment. The last few seconds are already your past and the next few haven’t been written.
Once you’ve mastered this, I suggest focusing on another sound, but only THAT sound. Maybe it’s the birds outside; perhaps it’s the rush of traffic or soft music you’ve got playing in the background.
The whole idea is to stop your brain from the torrent of thoughts that rush in and out, causing stress and anxiety. Magical things happen when you let those go, silence your mind and simply listen to anything BUT yourself.
Stay tuned for Step Two.
