I’m Type A all the way…Pitta-Kapha personality…always in motion, always on the go, thinking, doing…a body in motion, stays in motion. A mind in motion stays in motion…but just like my body needs rest, so does my mind. And that’s where my now daily meditation practice comes into play.
Quieting the Mind
Learning to be still…not moving…comfortably seated with my eyes closed and focusing on my breath. Breathing in peace, stillness, quiet. Breathing out chaos, work, stress. I’m learning to watch the thoughts that cause me to spin up instead of attaching to them. By watching them, I become an observer of my own mind. By deepening my breath, I release the tension that stressful thinking brings me. By quieting my mind I can listen for the answers that my Inner Knower is telling me.
Meditation as Self-Care
My yoga practice is the best self-care I can give myself and by adding a daily meditation to my practice, I am bubble wrapping my Self from the stress that daily life can bring. Be it turbulent times at work or the craziness that comes from being a mom and a step mom. My meditation practice is like receiving a daily inoculation against all the curve balls life throws my way.
Five Great Reasons to Meditate
- Reduce Stress – Adding meditation to a daily yoga practice that includes pranayama will not only lower your stress but it will also alleviate tension in your body.
- Reduce Fatigue – 20 minutes of meditation is very similar to a 20 minute power nap for me. By slowing down my over-active brain, I feel rejuvenated after only 20 minutes! I’m working on increasing the length of time I spend meditating for this reason alone!
- Reduce the Mind Chatter – Meditation has helped me detach from false thoughts and kick out the negative nellies in my head.
- Increase Feelings of Well Being – I’m really into feeling good about myself, my family, my work, everything that I do. Meditation helps me produce my own feelings of well being instead of looking for outside things to fill me up and make me feel good.
- Improves Mood – I recently experienced troubling times with two family members. I was a cranky puss when I went to yoga teacher training on Saturday morning. The first thing we did was a 20 minute meditation and when I came out of the visual state of calmness I created for myself, my mood was visibly better to my teacher and my classmates.
According to Sharon Gilbert, Ph.D,
This deeper, richer, calming experience [of meditation] has a profound effect on body, mind and spirit. Our minds become clearer; the noise and chatter in our minds fades away. In its place come feelings of peace, calmness and a sense of awareness. We feel lighter, younger and rejuvenated. Moods brighten and irritability is eliminated paving the way for clearer thoughts, improved memory, insightfulness and creativity.
Have you added meditation to your daily yoga practice? If not, what are you waiting for? Meditation works for everyone, not just a select few…so, if you’d like to feel better about yourself and your life, try meditating for a few minutes every day!
Nameste!
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I needed this reminder to take some time and stop the crazy spin cycle. Thank you!
It’s why I wrote it…to remind myself to get off the crazy spin cycle. Can’t tell you how much it meant to be able to meditate and practice pranyama this weekend amid the family swirl!
Meditation saved me from myself. I discovered it just before a major life transition took place, and thank goodness I had it to hold on to! Meditation helps me sleep better, feel better, think more clearly and creatively, respond more patiently and overall, connects me with a higher power. This is a great post and I hope people throughout the world begin meditating regularly!
Love this! Great post. I like what you wrote about how meditation is like “bubble wrapping my Self from the stress that daily life can bring.” Thank you!!