Meditation Basics
In today's fast paced world, meditation can be blissful balm for the mind, body and spirit. It's an easily accessible tool that's available to everyone, and it doesn't require any specialized training -- just a little time and intention.
What is meditation?
Meditation is a practice of intentional focus that enters one into a state of awareness that invites relaxation. Some of the general benefits of meditation are improved mental clarity, increased emotional resilience, and stress reduction. When practiced regularly, it can enhance overall mental and emotional well being, as well as positively impact our health and relationships.
It’s important to remember that meditation is not something to try to perfect. It isn't something you can win at or fail it. In fact, it's best toss out any notions of "doing it perfectly". Instead, welcome meditation into your life as an ever evolving practice.
"Meditation is a work in progress,
a process of uncovering our natural openness,
of uncovering our natural intelligence and warmth."
– Pema Chodron
If you’ve been thinking about giving meditation a try, but find yourself worrying about things like attention span, mind chatter, or fear of not being able to sit still -- don't let those fears stop you. You know what? If during meditation your mind starts to wander, or you feel the need to move, it’s okay. You don't need to stay perfectly still or put yourself into a special meditation pose.
Remember, meditation is not a one-size-fits all activity that has to be done in a specific way. In fact, there are many different ways to practice the art of meditation. The most important aspect of a meditation practice is intention.
Energy flows where intention goes.
Think of starting your journey into developing a meditation practice as a great adventure. Research and try several meditation options. Today there are apps, group classes, books, and so many online options -- many of which are free. If you try a form of meditation and it doesn’t work for you, don't let that be the end of your adventure, keep going and try another form.
I encourage you to be gentle and patient with yourself. Have fun trying out different options until you discover what works for you! Ready to give it a try? I created a simple and quick mindfulness mediation to get you started. Grab a blueberry (or any small morsel of food), and let's begin!
Stay curious.