Meditation: You are doing it right!

Here is the truth, Beginning a meditation practice is not easy.

   Simply being with ourselves can be quite the test of patience. Between endless thoughts/stories/dialog moving through our mind to the twitching and shifting of our bodies - there is a lot going on and a lot to observe. 

   Perhaps you notice you are feeling restless during meditation - Be aware of the sensations of restlessness and say to yourself "Wow, this is what it is like to be restless! How interesting". Be with that feeling and honor your experience (both good and bad)! Isn't it when we begin to feel restless that we react by going to the fridge? Turning to social media spending copious amounts of time swiping? Perhaps we suffer simply by trying to avert our experience of this restlessness?

   Our meditation practice is exactly that, a practice. Like anything worth practicing it also takes a great deal of patience. Sometimes our practice can be fun and sometimes the practice feels uncomfortable. We are here to rediscover our true loving nature, This is our practice.

“Meditation means: Put the mind aside and watch. the first step - love yourself - will help you tremendously. By loving yourself you will have destroyed much that society has implanted within you. You will have become free from the society and its conditioning. And the second step is, watch - just watch. Buddha does not say what has to be watched — everything! Walking, watch your walking. Eating, watch your eating. Taking a shower, watch the water, the cold water falling on you, the touch of the water, the coldness, the shiver that goes through your spine — watch everything, today, tomorrow, always.”

— Osho

We are in search for the truth, and it is within.

The Practice of Stillness

Do you find it difficult to sit still? Forget meditation, in general. 

     It is understandable that in today's on-the-go world we find it difficult to sit and invite ourselves to relax, let alone meditate. I have found this to be the real reason so many tell me they have trouble staying awake during meditation. We push our bodies to the extreme daily! We are so demanding on our body to remain outwardly productive throughout the day, it is no wonder we find ourselves completely stressed out. 

Our exhale is as important as our inhale.

     The concept is simple - If we are constantly doing-doing-doing we will eventually reach a point where we can no longer do. It is at this point that our body begins to communicate with us. This comes in the forms of stress, illness, anxiety, restlessness and so on. Have you ever considered that these symptoms listed are a form of communication? If only there was a technique to relax, listen reflect, and rediscover the love we have been keeping from ourselves ... :).

How to Exhale

"Ok Mr. smarty-pants, So tell us.. HOW!?" I'm glad you asked.

1. Create 10 minutes each morning dedicated to you. Invite your body to sit in a comfortable seated position, close the eyes and notice the sensation of your deep full breath. Don't worry, I will give you permission to be selfish for 10 minutes. Trust me, the world will thank you in the long-run.
2. A powerful morning practice is great way to alleviate daily stress. The "Lovingkindness" guided meditation may just be the tool you have been seeking to rediscover the joy and love in your day and in your relationships. (To check out my guided Lovingkindness Meditation, click the link below!)
3. Sitting still is a practice. We don't have to sit for hours or days at a time to meditate. Begin a meditation practice of 5-10 minutes! Turn on some easy music (or silence) and enjoy the peaceful moment, the peaceful breath... and then the next one.. and the next one. In time you will want to meditate for longer. We must first plant the seed for abundant fruits and flowers to grow.
4. Be easy on yourself. Sometimes in our practice we feel distracted. Sometimes we feel tired or bored. That is totally normal, again, be easy on yourself! You are taking time for you, This is a beautiful gift you are giving yourself. Breath in, breath out, smile - repeat. 

With Love

     At the end of the day, human beings are here to connect. In order to do that we must first re-learn to connect to ourselves before we can connect with others. We must re-learn to embrace our pain before we can heal our pain (or others pain). We must re-learn how to show ourselves love and be with ourselves before we can fully love others. 

     So I invite you to sit with yourself in stillness. Connect with yourself. Embrace your experience. Love yourself. You are worth it.

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