Hello,
Lovely soul.
You are starting on a great journey,
One where you explore meditation and become more aligned with your heart and your true self.
As Deepak Chopra said,
Love is the beginning of the journey,
Its end,
And the journey itself.
So we will start with love as we dispel some of the myths around meditation.
So the first place to begin is to love yourself and your efforts.
There is no wrong meditation except for the one you don't show up for.
If your mind races,
If you're fidgety,
If you fall asleep,
That's all perfectly fine.
Those are all normal responses to the practice of meditation.
Did you know that meditation isn't about clearing your mind of all thoughts?
It's about returning to a focal point whenever your mind wanders.
So the more your mind wanders,
Then the more you can practice.
No effort is wasted.
So give yourself grace as you start this practice.
Second,
Comfort is so important to a successful meditation practice.
When you become an advanced meditator,
If you want to sit in certain positions or use hand mudras,
Then that's perfectly fine.
But more people have quit meditating because their bodies are not comfortable than have continued with the practice.
So to begin,
Just make yourself as comfortable as possible.
If you want to lay down,
That's fine.
If you want to sit in a big,
Comfy chair with a cup of tea,
That's okay too.
If you want to pace back and forth because you can't sit still,
That's also all right.
The third myth is that you must spend a long time meditating.
This is also not true.
Did you know that you can meditate in as little as 16 seconds?
It's true.
Let's try it.
Just follow my directions.
Let's start with breathing in to a count of four,
Then hold to a count of four.
Breathe out to a count of four,
And hold for a count of four.
That was 16 seconds and the whole time you were mindful of your breath.
Congratulations!
I always recommend beginners start with a short amount of time and build up from there.
So begin with one to three minutes and add to that as you feel comfortable.
And also consider what fits easily into your daily schedule to start.
As you continue meditating,
You may want to clear time in your schedule for longer meditations.
But to begin with,
Think about where you can easily and consistently fit in a few minutes each day.
Which brings us to the only rule there really is with meditation,
Consistency.
There are many benefits to meditation,
Including stress relief,
Better relationships,
Better health,
And a better understanding of yourself.
But to have those benefits you must show up each day and practice.
You wouldn't expect to become a star athlete or piano virtuoso by practicing once and then stopping.
A meditation practice of three minutes every day will be of greater benefit to you than an inconsistent practice of 20 minutes each.
So start with whatever amount of time for meditation that you can consistently fit into your day.
Now let's practice a short basic mindfulness meditation together.
There are all kinds of styles of meditation,
But today we'll use one that combines watching your breath and using the mantra in and out.
So let's begin.
Find a comfortable place where your body is at ease and you can be undisturbed.
Nestle in.
Now let's take a deep breath in and then gently let that go.
Let's take another slow deep breath in and on the out breath gently close your eyes or look down with a soft gaze.
Now watch your breath as it fills your body.
Watch how it travels from your nose,
Fills your lungs,
And causes your belly to swell.
Then watch it on its journey out,
Traveling from your belly back up to your lungs and then back out to your nose.
Let's do that two more times at your own pace,
Watching the breath as it flows in and out.
Now on your own as you breathe in,
Repeat silently to yourself the word in,
And as you breathe out,
Repeat to yourself the word out.
Breathe as deeply as you're comfortable with.
If your mind wanders,
That's perfectly fine.
Your mind will wander.
Just when you notice you've drifted away,
Gently bring your attention back to your breath and the words in and out.
And your whole practice will be a gentle movement back and forth between your thoughts and the mantra,
Just like the swing of a pendulum.
I'll watch the time and when you hear the chime,
Just continue to sit with your eyes closed.
So let's begin.
So so so so Just sit quietly for a moment and let the stillness soak into your body,
Mind,
And spirit.
Now let's take a big breath in and gently breathe that out.
Let's take one more big breath in,
And on the out breath,
You may gently open your eyes.
Congratulations.
You have just completed five minutes of guided meditation,
Using a mantra and watching your breath.
You have also learned a great technique to manage stress.
The next time you feel stressed,
Close your eyes,
Take a deep breath in and out,
And repeat the mantra in and out to yourself.
Even if you just do this for a few rounds,
Your body will calm and your stress will dissipate.
I wish you much love,
Light,
And peace on your meditation journey,
Dear one.
Know that if you stick with your practice,
It will bring you benefits you can't even imagine.
Many blessings to you,
And namaste.
