Don’t hesitate, meditate. Meditation is an act of connecting with your breath and being fully present in the moment. This past year I have been reading different books about meditation and how it can impact individuals’ lives for the better. These books have opened my mind to a new approach to life and my hope is that more people will open their minds to this simple practice especially with what is happening right now in the world. It is important that people meditate as it has greatly improved my life in numerous ways.
There are many ways to meditate. It is not as complicated or time-consuming as one may think. I assumed that when a person meditates you must sit for hours on end until you feel “fulfilled” or “enlightened”. That is not the case. You can meditate anytime, anywhere. You can meditate while showering, eating, walking, running, driving, literally anything. The point of mediation is to connect with your breath and be fully present in the moment with whatever is happening. Allow your thoughts to disappear and just be engaged with whatever you’re doing. It seems a little farfetched and it takes time to learn, but once you start, it gets easier.
I started meditating when there was free time in my day. When I meditate, I prefer to be alone, so when I am alone I either lie down or sit on my bed and set a timer on my phone. I started out meditating for 3 minutes. Then I increased the timer to 4 minutes then 5 minutes, and so on. Again, it’s not about the amount of time you meditate, it’s about the act of connecting with your breath and taking a break from the outside world. Allow yourself to just be. If you find it hard to sit and meditate on your own, there are plenty of videos and podcasts of guided meditations on the internet to help you with this.
When I am stressed out about a certain situation, instead of getting frustrated and fueling my stress even more, I take a step back and connect with my breath. I take a deep breath in and exhale out. I do this for a minute or 30 minutes. Again, there is no timestamp on what is the appropriate amount of time to meditate. In this day and age, we are constantly on the move so if you can even take one minute of your time to just breathe and connect, it will greatly impact your life. It makes me calmer during stressful times and all-around happier ever since I began practicing meditation. It has brought peace into my life and I want others to find the peace that I have attained. If we all connect we can lead a more peaceful life. Don’t hesitate, meditate.