Hello again! After yesterday's post about podcasts, let's shift gears to…
MEDITATION
Meditation usually sounds like one of two things depending on who you talk to, either…
Really boring and sort of pointless
or
Really difficult
At its core, meditation is basically sitting in silence without thought.
It can sounds like a waste of time because you aren't doing anything.
It's also difficult because we humans are encouraged to think alllllllll the time. Giving the noggin a break is not easy for anyone. I think it's even more difficult to do when you are in the middle of something very challenging or stressful, like not having a job…
BUT that's why it's so important!
Meditation encourages your mind to stop running in circles, replaying old struggles or projecting needless worry. Freaking out, panicking or feeling sorry for yourself are only damaging, not motivating.
The point of meditation isn't the silence, the point is to to let your brain rest and free yourself of thought. A lot of people, myself included (I am always working on this), think that when thoughts creep in, which they will, means the effort is a failure. You can NEVER fail during meditation, ever.
The fact that you will even notice when you have thoughts come in, is enough. Like most things, the more you practice, the better you will get.
I was introduced to meditation in a college holistic heath class where the first 10 minutes of each class was dedicated to this practice, led by the professor. A lot of my classmates hated it. I love it, but was also frustrated by it. It seemed so easy, but it wasn't. I picked it up again after listening to many podcasters and my favorite YouTubers describe how it changed their life. Their passion reminded me of that time in college when I was so fascinated by it. Since reintroducing meditation to my life, it has become easier for me to calm down from being upset, nervous or overly excited. It's all thanks to the self-awareness that's found in meditation.
If you're a beginner, start small, meditating for one minute a day, then build from there when you want. A lot of people do it two times a day (morning and evening) for 10 minute sessions. I try to do it once a day for 5 minutes. Sometimes I don't do it at all, meditating is a practice that I'm still working on.
You don't need special clothes or pillows, just a place to sit comfortably. The only recommendation I do have is to try not to meditate in bed, you might get too cozy and fall asleep.
Here are my recommendations for meditating
Vipassanā meditation
Headspace meditation app
Visualization - My personal favorite after trying many other techniques… I ask myself where I am and then I silently describe to myself what I see in my mind. It almost always involves walking or being in nature, like the desert, mountains, forest, or beach by myself. I describe the light, the air quality, what the sun feels like, the smell. The interesting thing is that it's always a different experience, sometimes the same place (it's almost never a place I've actually been to either), but the details change, like the weather, time of day, etc. When I am done, my mind feels like it just had a vacation.
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Let me know if you meditate and how you do it. If you are just getting started, enjoy it and let me know what you think!
Tomorrow I'm sharing tip #3 which is a new perspective on an old piece of advice!
See you then!
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