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Meditation has become a key part of my day.

Its so important.

What is said (and it’s hella true) is that unless you’re ready and willing to enter a new earth, a new state of being, willing to accept meditation and your inner awakening, it will never serve you fully.

You probably opened this article because you want to find a way to help you cope with your stress and anxiety, be it at work, home, in relationships or just the typical road rage. Meditation has changed my life and I’ve shared it with so many people around me. It took me a while to get the hang of it and a lot of yo-yo commitment before it actually stuck. Now, I’ve learned that meditation is a muscle that isn’t just about doing it when you feel stressed, its an everyday lifestyle change kinda of practice. We can’t just eat well for a day and hope to be cured of our internal inflammation, so think of it like that. Our nervous system is inflamed and by taking time everyday we can slowly create a hospitable environment for thoughts to pass calmly, but when we stop the inflammation will come back. Thats what I’m learning. Not from one day off or even two, but a practice is a long term commitment and thats why it’s a lifestyle change.

Here are some of the things you need to know if you’re looking at dipping a toe into the meditation pool, or maybe you’re ready for the full shift.

Benefits of Meditation

So many benefits have been reported after studies done on meditation, but what I want to share are some of my own benefits along side those that are typically part of the meditation practice.

The most important thing to remember about meditation that my aunt, a very respected and practiced Buddhist told me “its not about controlling your emotions, it’s about your emotions not controlling you”

REPORTED BENEFITS

Manage your anxiety and fears

Build your attention span

Changes your perception of self awareness.
Strengthen Emotional and mental health

Can help fight addiction

WHAT I’VE NOTICED

Better sleep

Clear visualization of goals, future and relationships

Calm start to the day

Sense of stillness and presence

Better communication in relationships and clarity on how I am feeling

Brings up past issues that I didn’t know bothered be as my mind is clear and they stop being repressed. Thoughts arise about the times you least expected.

Connectedness to my partner

Less anxiety and the ability to calm myself down in moments of anxiety

Better resistance to physical pain

HOW I STARTED MEDITATING

When I first started meditating it was shortly after my concussion. The neuro specialist told me to try meditation to heal my brain. When you have a concussion every use of brain power hurts your head so finding a state of being rather than doing is important in the healing process. Think speaking, seeing, listening, all of these are different energies used by the brain so meditation allows you to rest and heal.

Screen Shot 2021-05-04 at 6.16.06 PM.png — I downloaded the app HEAD SPACE which is a great place to start if you’re just looking to get into it. They have a 10 day trial that walks you through how to meditate which helped me learn the process. It was 5 minutes a day. FIVE … and it felt like a life time. Now five minutes it way too short for me. But at the time I felt so uncomfortable with the process so don’t worry…. I totally know the feeling if thats what you’re facing.
Now I have switched to the app GLO and my favourite teacher is David. You can search by length, practice and for what. So if you’re feeling a sore throat, YUP there is a meditation for the 5th chakra (your throat!) or if you are having trouble with CHANGE (HI ME!) you can search and they have practices for this. They also indicate what level the practice is and what it will best help with. I LOVE this app so much!

HOW I MEDITATE NOW

Now, every morning I have a typical routine. I have managed to create a version that is malleable so no matter where I am, home or traveling which is often the case, I can still feel healthy and still.

I typically wake up at least 2 hours before I need to be anywhere.

This is my safe time. If I wanted to snooze another 15 minutes I can. If I want to meditate for 25 minutes I can. I have the time and the ability to choose without stress.
I wash up to feel fresh before anything. Fresh face leaves me feeling like its a new day and everything can restart. It might just be a symbolic gesture to my own commitment, but it feels right to me.

Then I will take my probiotics or vitamins that come before eating. Make my tea, matcha, coffee or what ever that may be that morning (feed moka) if I’m at home, and then I settle back into my safe space. That is either my room, hotel room, guest house. Just close the door and find your own space.
I’ll either turn on my essential oil diffuser or burn an incense. Sometimes if if a new month, week, or moon ill burn a bit of sage before.

(Sage will clear the air of bacteria, but it is also said to cleanse negative energy from around you)
I sit on a pillow if a meditation block or cushion is not available. See, just go with it.

Legs below hips is the typical way to sit.

Hands can be placed palms down on the knees, up to the sky or softly rested between your legs. Ill often do this and hold my rose quartz at the same time.

Ill try to have enough time to meditate for at least 15 minutes, but if I’m just not feeling it or woke up a bit too late ill at least do 5-10 minutes. I find the longer I meditate the more I am able to become fully present and let go of my initial thoughts and fears that come flooding in when I first start. This is my biggest struggle when I meditate, calming the mind.