The Beginners Guide to Meditation
What is meditation? What can I get out of it by practicing this modality?
Share your meditation practice, how you got started and what you got out of it.
A bit about my journey and how my practice has evolved.
Where to begin was always my barrier. I learned - that barrier only existed within myself. Meditation always seemed like this far away and deep concept that could only be achieved by certain people. That it took years to learn and could only be practiced sitting in silence and stillness for hours..
Thank goodness my curiosity to explore got the best of me, and I learned through my meditation has many layers. So what is mediation? A mental practice that invites in focus, relaxation and increased awareness. Mmmhhhh focus - relaxation and increased awareness. Sounds delightful! We will get to the benefits of meditation later. Hang tight.
My practice of meditation began when I started to practice yoga. I am sure I dabbled in it years before - the stack of books I have is proof. Sitting in stillness for me has always been a challenge. In the beginning I would sit and be thinking - ok I don’t feel anything, am I was doing it right, I must be doing this all wrong, wait i can’t stop the thoughts, omgosh so many thoughts, my nose itches, and on and on. I clearly remember the one practice during my yoga teacher training that took me to another level. I don’t remember the exact words of the teacher leading - only the feeling I received. This deep release of trying AND allowing myself to just be. Just be in the moment - with my emotions - with my thoughts (they never go away) and experiencing all of it exactly as it was. It was earth moving! (more on my little earth shifts later). This was the beginning of it all.
So, I continued to practice. Sitting, laying in my bed, for 3 mins to no time limit, in silence, in guided, walking, washing dishes, listening. Sometimes with success, sometimes I couldn’t find a moment of clarity, sometimes that few moments that I sat were the gold I needed for my day or that moment. I enrolled in an MBSR - Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Course and there I discovered…
