Intro to Meditation

Keeping it simple

So far, 2022 has been about redefining success in achieving our goals. Over the last few months, we have set daily intentions and learned how to balance 7 different energy centers within our body.

Back in Jan 3^rd’s Tap In and blog post, we established a morning practice of stillness and intention setting in which this success would be built upon. Let’s dive deeper into the who’s’, what’s, when’s, where’s, why’s and the how’s of this practice that for century’s has been referred to as Meditation.

What is Meditation?

 Meditation is a practice of simply bringing awareness to the present moment, it is a practice of doing nothing 😊

Simple, but not easy – which is why it is a practice.

Meditation is a journey, not a destination and when we approach it with simplicity and curiosity, without it needing to be anything other than what we are experiencing in that moment, it becomes exactly what we need in that moment.

What Meditation is not;

To help with the simplicity of meditation, it may be helpful to understand what meditation is NOT;

• a religion of any kind
• about controlling, stopping, or judging our thoughts & emotions
• complicated

 Let’s now discuss the WHY

Why do we want to integrate a meditation practice into our daily life? On a surface level meditation has so many benefits to help bring balance to our body and our mind. At a deeper level meditation connects us to our true self. (Our Soul)

Meditation has many benefits

Here are just a few Benefits of Meditation;

• Minimizes the stress in our lives and our bodies
• Decreases high blood pressure
• Decreases heart rate
• Boosts immune system
• Boosts metabolism
• Creates peace within
• Clarity of mind
• Helps us practice being in the present moment (when our thoughts are stuck in the past or worried about the future – stress is the outcome).
• Sets us up to make better choices in our day and have better sleeps in the evening

Even if just one of the above benefits is something you would like more of in your life…that is your WHY!!!

Who is meditation for?

That is easy…EVERYONE

The best thing about meditation is it that you don’t have to believe in anything, you don’t have to understand it, you just have to DO IT! Anyone and everyone can reap the benefits of meditation by simply committing to two, 5-minute silent meditation practices every day.

The most frequent and prevailing comment I hear around meditation is “I can’t meditate! My mind is all over the place (often referred to as a monkey mind) and I cannot sit still”.

It is important to know that if you identify with this statement that meditation will be MOST BENEFICAL FOR YOU!

• Meditation is not about forcing your mind to be quiet.
• Meditation is not about forcing your body to be still.
• Thoughts during your meditation are normal AND A GOOD SIGN!
• The thoughts you are having during any meditation is a sign that your body is releasing the stress within itself.
• There is no such thing as a “bad” meditation, as long as you show up and sit for 5 minutes…you got this!

Meditation is a practice and as you commit to it daily, you will begin to see the benefits in your life. It is as simple as that! Whether or not you think it was a good or bad meditation, is really just a judgement and has no relevance to the benefits your body, mind and life will receive.

When is the best time to Meditate?

The simplest answer to this question is… What works best for you? Typically, the “best” time is first thing in the morning, after you have woken up a bit, walked around, brushed your teeth and had a warm glass of water. Do your first 5 minute (or longer if you prefer) silent meditation. My recommendation for your second 5-minute meditation is later in the afternoon or early evening, perhaps before you eat dinner or at a time in your day when you are feeling exhausted or overwhelmed. Use this 2^nd meditation as a transition in your day or a time when your stress level may at its heightened state. Letting those thoughts be in your present moment awareness, as you take a few moments to align with the flow of your deepened breath. This will allow the stress in your body to release and your muscles to soften. A third option as you go to bed would be to take a few moments to reflect on what you are grateful for in your day and then put on a guided sleep meditation to help you ease into a deeper slumber 😊

These days, work schedules and daily routines can be all over the place so ultimately you need to find what times work best for you. As long as you are committing to the 2 daily 5-minute practices – you can not go wrong!

Where should one Meditate?

We can meditate anywhere! All we really need is something to sit on. We can meditate on an airplane, in a parked car before heading home or into the house, maybe our office chair. It is a good idea to get used to being able to meditate anywhere and everywhere. On the other hand, it is a great idea to also set up a quiet, comfortable space somewhere in your home to help create a regular practice. It does not need to be a big space and you can bring items into this space to make it yours (example…a favorite blanket, some crystals, essential oils, candles, or anything that brings you comfort). Just make sure you don’t get too dependent on that space, you want to be able to meditate anywhere when and if you need to.

How? What is the best Meditation?

There are so many ways to meditate and nowadays there are so many apps, options and styles of meditations offered. As this article is about making it simple, that is exactly what I am going to suggest.

This is my recommendation to get you started…

1. Set a timer so you are not having to check the time.
2. Settle into a comfortable seated position and close your eyes.
3. Go inward to check in. Find your breath. Continue to settle.
4. Observe how your breath is flowing in and out of your body.
5. Allow your breath to flow naturally, without forcing it.
6. Curiously observe the coolness in your nostrils as your body inhales and the warmth in your nostrils as your body exhales…
7. Observe your thoughts. You are not your thoughts – you are the thinker of your thoughts, however we can get swept away by them, so when you notice this has happened, simply remind yourself to return to the coolness and warmth of your breath.
8. OPTION; Some find it effective to breath with a Mantra (a mantra is simply a vibration of sound) a good universal mantra to use is “So Hum” You can silently say “So” when you notice your body is inhaling and silently say “Hum” when you notice your body is exhaling.

Our intention this week, is of course to commit to and find our consistency with these practices.

It is common for meditators to stop practicing, particularly if they are new to it because they question whether they are meditating correctly or having the proper experience during their meditations. Stick with it! Keep doing it! You cannot get it wrong!!

To really consider the value of your meditations, stop looking at the experience during your actual meditation sit time and instead look at your life. Notice the benefits as they start to emerge 😊

Once you get comfortable with your practice, you will most likely want to increase your sitting time. Recommended is 2x a day for 15-20 minutes. Start with what you are comfortable with and have time for – ANY meditation is better than none – just make it a consistent part of each day.

 FYI; Classes throughout the week support these Tap In teachings. To try a class either live or recorded contact me at leslie@wellnessdefined.ca

Now let’s Tap This In and sit for 5 minutes 🙂