5 Meditation Tips

Part of maintaining a healthy and well lifestyle means maintaining a healthy mind and mind/body connection.  I've had a lot of questions from people about meditation lately.  Meditation is my means of mind maintenance.  It keeps me clear minded, peaceful, and improves my reactions to stressful situations.  But meditation is no picnic, it's hard work!  So I've put together a few tips to improve your meditation practice.

1.  Designate a space:  Find yourself a comfortable spot where you can consistently go to in order to perform your meditation.  I don't care if it's your bed, floor or basement, just find a spot.  We have a 3rd bedroom that we don't use and that is my go to spot!  You will associate that area with your meditation, helping you get into the mindset once you sit down.

2.  Kick the judgement to the curb:  everyone thinks the point of meditation is to shut your mind up, well if you can do that puhlease tell me the secret because it ain't possible!  The point of meditation is for self-reflection and examination of your thoughts.  So let your mind go wild and don't judge yourself for it!  Use a meditation technique to keep yourself centered (i.e. counting your breaths, or questioning your thoughts) and really just get in tune to what is going on in your head!



3.  Comfortable position, not a sleeping position:  Sit upright or lie in a relaxed position, however don't put yourself in a sleep position.  The point is not to fall asleep, it's to actively examine your inner self, so stay awake!  I prefer to sit on a yoga block usually in a cross legged position and this is comfortable, but not uber comfy where I'll be snoring in 5 minutes.

4.  Make it part of your schedule:  If you are like a me and love a "to do" list or a plan then put this on it!  Meditation is just as important as brushing your teeth in my opinion and I definitely would not go through a full day without brushing my pearly whites.  If you make it a normal routine you are less likely to skip it, so put it in the schedule and do it!

5.  Be realistic:  Just like any other wellness habit, specifically related to diet or exercise, don't expect too much of yourself!  You wouldn't go out and try to run a marathon without training right??  Meditation is a practice and requires just that.  Start with a 3-5 minute session and gradually increase as you feel able.  If your expectations are too high you will definitely just throw in the towel, however if you are achieving small goals at a time you will stick with it and the motivation will continue.  Think of it as mind training!

Meditation is a practice just like any other wellness practice.  Some days are good, some days are bad, and there's a learning curve.  So take these tips to the meditation bank and next thing you know you'll be the next Gandhi!