On starting a meditation habit:
People say,
“My mind doesn’t shut off to allow being still and silent.”
VERY common misconception here…
Have you heard the phrase “Saying you’re too tight to do yoga is like saying you’re too dirty to take a bath.” It’s the same thing with meditation. We are conditioned to “perform”- graded-measured -competitive performance, outward-against other people.
Meditation is a self practice, it’s inward. It’s submissive. It’s self connection. It’s not judgemental… it’s observational. Yoga and meditation are a “practice” not a “performance.” That means ACCEPTING where you are. Just show up, observe, tinker, and practice. There is absolutely no goal. You just keep showing up, keep practicing, keep observing, and keep noticing.
You will learn to SUBMIT- and let go. Then you will begin to notice your thoughts get quieter. When you get emotionally triggered, there will be more space for a thoughtful response, instead of a thoughtless reaction. You will feel more peaceful. Start with five minutes, start with one minute, or lay on your back if you need to. They’re are lots of apps that will slowly talk you through.
There are no rules. At first, just learn how to lengthen your breath, specifically your exhale, then scan and relax your body. In time, you’ll notice compounding results. Then you will have more control over your mind, your reactions, your decisions, and your ability to focus.
Make it and “ABSOLUTE MUST” every day, 5 minutes, for a month or so. That’s it. You might find yourself wanting to continue.
After a few years, you may reach 50 total hours of meditation. At this point your brain has been permanently altered in a great way! At this point your meditations become extremely insightful. Great ideas, completely relevant to your life, begin to show up out of no where. You get very clear with your ability to solve problems and make changes in your life.
Meditation is extremely beneficial for people who find themselves a bit scatterbrained and for people who are very stressed.