First, let me preface this article by saying I am no expert on the art of meditation. It’s simply something I have picked up and have found to be beneficial in my own life and thought maybe it could be beneficial in yours.
I always correlated meditation to this abstract concept of “peacefulness” and being “zen” and quite frankly being someone who has their sh*t together. My mom had been meditating consistently for a while when she attempted to convince me to try it. She sold it as a 10-minute moment with yourself every morning. She knows I tend to get pretty anxious and stressed on my day-to-day and thought it would be healthy for me. I ignored her. It wasn’t until the end of 2020 that I really needed some inner peace and was looking for just about anything that would help.
I see mediation in the same way I see yoga: it’s a practice. It’s something that has no real end or beginning but something that follows the natural ebb and flow of your life. While I have yet to reach the point where I meditate every day, or in any consistent schedule for that matter, on the days where I do meditate I can feel the shift in my own energy and mood. It’s not something easily verbalized. The best comparison I have is that moment at the beach where you’re in the water and you just float, belly-up, eyes closed, and just listen to the sound of the water as you gently rock back and forth and your skin soaks up the warmth of the sun. Total serenity. That’s not to say that unwelcome thoughts and worries don’t creep in but, for 10 minutes, the sound of nothingness is strong enough to drown them out.
Like I said, my practice is not something I’ve perfected or even drilled into my daily life, but it’s a moment in time where I do something with myself, for myself, and by myself. These days, I see myself spreading far too thin, doing so much and not enough at the same time, and always having some fire to put out. That being said, I can confidently say that I love where I’m at in my education, in my career, and in my passions. But I’m human and some days I get tired and feel defeated and other days I crave more and feel like I’m not doing nearly enough. On those days, the act of meditation and grounding myself comes in extremely handy.
I’m not telling you it’s easy to turn off your mind, even if it’s just for 10 minutes. What I am telling you is that the feeling you’re left with afterward is warm, cozy, full of love, and extremely rewarding. If you’re looking to start meditating or to expand your practice you may want to try out helpful apps like Calm, Headspace, Insight, YouTube, and my most recent favorite the Fabletics Fit app. These are all apps making it easy for you to meditate at home or on the go if needed!