Vibrant Habit #20
Meditation… the word that strikes fear into those of us who can’t stop our minds from chattering and wandering and ruminating and worrying. Don’t leave this blog yet! I promise I won’t ask you to get into a pretzel pose and chant a mantra. When I first started my foray into meditation I simply sat in a chair and set my timer for five minutes and told myself not to think of anything during that time. I made it about five seconds. Then I told myself that if a thought came into my head, I’d form a bubble around it and it will float away. OMG… so many bubbles! Maybe I needed a new position. I tried laying on my back, laying on my stomach, downward dog, a headstand, and finally fetal position (that’s my crying position). I tried meditation music and it worked… I made it to 8.5 seconds without a thought. Yay me! And then I found it… meditation for dummies… guided meditation!
Guided meditation describes the process of meditating under the guidance of someone else. Yes, someone tells you what to do, and it’s maybe the only time that you’ll love this. This guidance is essentially an audio narration of the meditation process. I love that guided meditation is easily accessible, and there is no need for any level of experience - only the capacity to listen. As such, it is an excellent starting point for us beginners. Like any type of meditation, the benefits are more numerous than my random thought bubbles. It can reduce symptoms of anxiety and stress… who doesn’t need that? It can help us better process our emotions, think fewer negative thoughts, and improves relationships (as in, we have greater acceptance of the imperfections of others… who we wish were as perfect as we were). In addition, with a daily guided meditation practice of just 10 minutes, we can stop emotional eating, improve our sleep quality, boost our creativity, increase our self awareness, and improve our memories! As a daily meditator of the guided type, I have experienced each and every one of these benefits and then some. It’s transformative and mindset-shifting and magical.
Your newest vibrant habit is to try 5-10 minutes of guided meditation a few times per week and work your way up to every day if possible. Consistency is key to reaping all of the benefits. You can search for guided meditation podcasts or find them on websites or on YouTube. And then, sit back or lay down or stand on your head and enjoy someone telling you what to do.
Here are a few to start with…