Do you think that it’s difficult to meditate?
Have you tried and been disappointed?
Have you been told that there is only one way to meditate?
For several years after I did my Yoga teacher training, I had a daily meditation practice and was quite pleased with the results of my meditation. Then, a few years back, someone that I loved, respected, and had faith in, told me that I was not really meditating!
She insisted that because I did not have my own personal mantra, given to me by a master, what I was doing wasn’t really meditation.
I was quite taken aback by this as I had been sure that my meditation practice was fabulous! In fact, I’d experienced times of feeling the presence of the divine during my meditation.
Yet, this was someone who I trusted, and she was telling me I wasn’t really meditating.
Unfortunately, I let what she said affect my confidence in my meditation practice and I had difficulty getting back into my previously wonderful meditations.
Lesson learned, though. I’m back believing in myself, and now I teach six different ways to meditate and I encourage everyone to try them all and choose the one that works for them. I eventually let go of what I’d been told, listened to my own inner guidance, and got back to my own meditation practice. I’m now up to meditating twice a day.
Meditation helps you find your inner guidance. Additionally, meditation helps your brain be as healthy as possible by increasing blood flow, helping to prevent dementia, and building grey matter. There are too many benefits to mention here, but the most important thing is that meditation makes a HUGE difference in your life, and EVERYONE can do it!
When you become more in tune with your own guidance system, you begin to feel comfortable in your own skin; you make decisions that are more authentic to your best interest; you operate from a place of confidence and calm.
Many people today have spent so many years operating from a place of fear, or indecision, or simply trying to survive, that they’ve lost their authentic selves. And when you don’t listen to that “gut feeling,” or feel that “heart pounding joy,” you make decisions that INCREASE your stress, instead of reducing it.
I know that’s not what any of us want, but sometimes making a change, or taking that first step toward a more authentic life, is pretty scary.
Here are a couple of things that can help you quickly go from fear, anger, or sadness to a place of calm. Use these as you need them throughout the holiday season to lower your stress levels.
- Take a deep breath in and let it out SLOWLY through your nose. Repeat three more times, making your exhale longer than the inhale. You may want to count – perhaps a slow four count inhale and a long six count exhale. The longer exhale reduces your blood pressure and helps to calm your mind.
- Stop whatever you are doing, excuse yourself, go into the bathroom and lock the door. Now stand up tall, with your feet under your hips, and lengthen your spine. Take a deep inhale and visualize Mother Earth sending you a beautiful healing energy current that comes into your legs, and travels all the way up to your heart. Then, on the exhale see that healing energy continue travelling up through your torso, neck, and out the top of your head, going very far up into the atmosphere. On the next inhale, bring some of that healing energy down from the atmosphere into your head, throat, and down into your heart. On the exhale, see it continuing down through your legs and into Mother Earth. Repeat two more times, flush, and get back to what you were doing, feeling a bit more relaxed than you were a few minutes ago.
These are great tools! Use them as needed, and if you’d like to learn more about the powerful tool of meditation, watch the video, then click HERE!
Best of Health,
Kathi
