Do you have no doubt heard or read something on the benefits of meditation, right? About how you can clear your mind by breathing so that maybe, just maybe, you won't yell profanities at the dude that cuts you off or flip off your boss behind their back – may or may not be speaking from experience here.
What do you picture when you think of meditation? An Indian guru sitting crisscross applesauce with a comfy pillow under his tush, golden sun shining through the pavilion, and birds peacefully flying by? Or someone with no children, no pets, and a stress-less job that drinks organic tea and eats kale? Maybe it's just someone like you who decided to try it one day.
We aren't surprised when we read that some of the world's most successful and happy people meditate – so why haven't we done it yet?! Confession time: I did a guided meditation for the first time last week. I didn't see birds or start farting sunshine, but it taught me something about the power of my mind.
Set the scene – I had just an online training and was sitting on my living room floor playing fetch with my hyperactive terrier and googled guided meditations. I had just heard Tim Ferriss's podcast on the five things he does daily to "win the day." Meditation was one of them. So I tried it because Tim Ferriss is unique, and you should all do what he says 🙂 The first four minutes were FULL of my brain bouncing from every thought and going on tangents while trying to ignore my dog nudging my hand and whimpering because we had only played fetch for an hour – he's 13 by the way.
So I stuck with it because according to people that have tried this, if they can once, JUST ONCE, bring that monkey brain back to the present, hearing their breath and realizing that they are in the now, they win the meditation game. It's not about keeping your brain empty, we are human, and that's impossible! Instead, it's about having the control to recognize when your brain is bouncing and returning to feeling your body inhale, taking notice of where the breath goes. Is it your lungs that rise, or maybe your tummy? Wherever that is, suppose that breath enters, filling the cavities of your body and pressing up with your diaphragm as you exhale in with the Good Things, out with the Bad Things.
Sure enough, six minutes into my trial run, for a VERY brief nano-second, I had a glimpse of what that is like. I'm sure it's different for everyone, but for me, I was lighter, quieter, and ever so slightly in control. It was powerful. And for just a moment, if you can bring yourself there, there is a peace and warmth that I can't put into words. I've meditated three times since then, loving every journey.
You don't have to meditate for hours or every day. Maybe try 10-minutes? Perhaps just a day or two a week. I started with Tara Brach because she wrote the book on how to meditate. She has a bunch of guided meditations. If you don't make it the whole 10 minutes, so what?! Try it for YOU. This meditation is one of my favorites so far.
Why, friend, why do we know this is good for us, but we don't try it?! This isn't rhetorical, so PLEASE EMAIL ME and tell me about your journey with meditation. Have you tried it? Wanted to try it? What stops you, or what motivates you?
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