Keeping Meditation Easy

I have been practicing meditation on and off since 1996. In December of 2016 my husband and I made the commitment to meditate at least once a day and we have not missed a day since. Having a meditation practice has kept me afloat during some very difficult times, including recovering from my childhood, depression and divorces (not a typo).

The good news is that meditation is not about sitting cross-legged on a mountain top (although that’s cool, too!) or having a blank mind. Instead, meditation is a fantastic tool to calm the mind so our bodies can heal and we can peacefully live in the present moment, regardless of the storms around us.

Meditation is about awareness. When we begin to meditate the first thing we become aware off is our thoughts.

Somehow there is a huge misconception that to meditate one must have a blank mind. According to Dan Harris, correspondent for ABC News, the co-anchor for the weekend edition of Good Morning America and author of 10% Happier and Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics, if you have a blank mind “then you’re either enlightened, congratulations! or you’re dead, I’m sorry.”

Becoming aware of your thoughts is a great win. It means that your mind is no longer thrashing about like a kite in the wind without you knowing about it. Once you become aware of the distraction, just begin again, and again, and again. That is the practice.

Another good news about meditation is that one minute counts.

One of my favorite meditations is just to say ‘Peace’ with the inhale and “Love” with the exhale. This can be done anywhere, anytime.

My mentor and yoga teacher Maggie McClain would say “YES!” with the inhale. “YES! to everything, even the things I don’t understand. “THANK YOU!” with the exhale, especially for the things I don’t understand.” This is a good way to end the day. It is also a good way to welcome the day.

Regardless of how your day starts, you can take two breaths to welcome the day.

Meditation trains the mind to be present. We can then use the breath to bring us back to the present moment in the middle of changing diapers, toddler melt-downs, traffic jams, disease, relationship troubles and whatever comes our way.

Every moment is precious. And it is the only one we have.

BREATHE IN. BREATHE OUT.

“I know this is a wonderful moment.’ This is the only moment that is real. To be here and now, and enjoy the present moment is our most wonderful task. ‘Calming, Smiling, Present moment, Wonderful moment.’ An Excerpt from Being Peace by Thich Nhat Hanh

Some of my favorite meditation resources:

Dr Joe Dispenza – I have been using Dr. Joe’s meditations daily

Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics – Dan Harris

Insight Timer – free app with thousandths of meditations

PS…  check my schedule for meditation events at the studio.