24 Dec 2020. If you know me, you know meditation is a very important part of my life. I started meditating in late 2014, when my mental health hit its first ever low. I soon realized that poor mental health doesn’t magically fix itself, at least not in a sustainable way, so I researched ways to heal myself from within. Thus began my lifelong spiritual journey and commitment to meditation.
Fast-forward to today: I’ve now been meditating for 6 years (not always 100% consistently, but it’s a practice I continually return to). My practice no longer looks like it once did, because I went through a huge process of trial-and-error to find what worked for me.
First off, I’m not a morning person. I don’t wake up full of energy; I don’t feel immediately productive and ready to take on life. This is WHY I meditate in the morning – because it requires 0 effort yet it changes my whole day and mental state. I prefer mornings because we tend to not have as many interfering thoughts as we do later in the day, due to an increasing pressure we feel to get things done. These distracting thoughts we experience as the day goes on, make it harder to meditate. I also recommend meditating before looking at your phone, because the messages we receive from others serve as another source of distraction that again make it difficult to meditate. In conclusion, our energy is at its purest state (untainted by others) when we first arise.
Here’s how I meditate: There are plenty of meditation apps out there, and I’m sure they are great. However, because I’m not naturally motivated when I wake up, if I ever had to rely on an app for my self-care the outcome wouldn’t be so hot. Trust me, I’ve tried. I’ve tried probably a hundred different meditation methods at this point, but only ONE has stuck with me throughout the years, and it is the laziest yet personally most effective method possible for me, and it has completely changed my life:
After I wake up, I open my window shades to let the morning light pour in. I then go back to my bed, sit cross-legged with my back against the headboard and my hands on my thighs (or if I’m feeling lazy I lie down on my back with my arms extended long by my sides). I keep an erect spine. I set a timer for 10-15 min (if you’re new to meditation, I suggest starting with 3 min, then gradually adding on 1-2 min overtime. Consistency with the practice itself is key). I keep my eyes open, neither looking around nor focusing on any object. The point is to go within; to feel within. Lastly, I place my left hand over my heart and my right hand over my belly, and I begin to breathe consciously.
Important last notes & tips: by conscious breathing, I mean breathe fully while maintaining your natural breath. Inhale as deeply as you can and feel the air fill up your lungs. Before exhaling, PAUSE. Notice here that there is a 3rd part to breathing that often goes unnoticed: it is that sacred space in between the inhale and exhale, where there is no breath at all. It is a brief moment of absolute nothingness, where all becomes quiet. If, at any point, your mind begins to drift (which is completely normal), acknowledge your thoughts, noting where your mind has drifted. Then re-exert control over your mind by simply returning to this space of nothingness, focusing on the moment between your inhale and exhale.
Lastly, one can meditate at any time of the day, and/or multiple times throughout the day. If you can’t, for the life of you, stop your racing mind from thinking nor focus on your breath, don’t worry. We all experience times like this. When this happens, I use music. I play a 10-15 minute meditation song on my phone, and do exactly as I did above. Or, if my thoughts are really rollin’ in strong, I focus on the sounds within the music, and eventually, the thoughts dissipate. If they don’t, I still continue to the end, taking note of each time a distracting thought comes in (at the very least, you’ll now have better insight into what, precisely, is preventing your mind from focusing on the present moment).
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So what’s the point of all of this? I can sum it up in one word: awareness.
Awareness, I believe, is the foundation of living a more fulfilling life with a happier mind. The more you meditate consistently, you’ll begin to notice changes- like being able to pick up on negative thoughts and stop them in their tracks. Then, you’ll realize you have far greater control over your mind than you ever thought possible. The overthinking begins to cease and is replaced with a greater sense of inner peace, and presence. Overtime, the changes add up and you’ll be a far better version of yourself. You just gotta stick with it, give it a chance, even when the going gets tough.
Med for the Mind 