Meditating Into Authentic Space

Are you into meditation? I am, and I just love it! Meditation is a wonderful way to learn how to take up space, authentically. And anyone can do it!

Yes, even you! Especially you; with the kiddos and the job and the family. It’s a must when life is crazy and it seems like there’s no time. In fact, I’d say that’s when meditation is the most important.

Now, you must let go of the many crazy beliefs about meditating. I know that you have them, because I had them before I started making this a (mostly) daily practice.

Before I had my kid, I had a nice corner setup with an altar. It housed my meditation candle, and other various items that held real meaning for me: my first half-marathon medal, a flower, a necklace from my women’s studies group in college, a yoga water bottle.

But once my child was born, I had to pack those items away to keep little fingers from getting to them.  Alters are lovely, but not needed. Mostly, you just need a space to sit: the floor, a chair, the couch.

I’d also recommend using a meditation app. There are tons out there; many offer a free option. Headspace and Calm are the two I researched. I ended up going with Calm, and I’m so happy I did!

Calm offers me guided meditations, music, and sleep stories. I did pay a bit more to open up more options, like 21-days of calm and 7-days of gratitude. But their free, 10-minute daily calm is just as lovely.

I know what you’re thinking. I sit down, breathe, and them my mind wanders in all kinds of crazy directions. I hear ya! Everyone’s mind does that. So let the whole idea of “my mind must be totally empty in order to have a good meditation session” go.

Let. It. Go.

That is not how the mind works. And meditation recognizes that.

Meditation is about learning how to corral the mind, moment-by-moment. Yes, the mind wanders, but through meditation, we learn how to continually bring it back to the breath, back to your focal point. For some, it’s a word or mantra, for others, it’s the simple act of breathing.

Keep bringing it back. Over, and over, and over.

Meditation is cumulative. The more you do it, the better you get at corralling the mind. It’s like exercise; you see better results with consistency.

Mediation is no different.

As you learn to live fully in the moment, you will notice yourself, off the mat, learning to live fully in the moment. No more being distracted at work or with your family. You will be fully present.

So try it, I bet you’ll love it! And don’t worry if you can’t get to every day. Sometimes, I meditate while standing in line at the grocery, or just before I got to bed. Deep breaths. Focus. Gratitude.

Meditation is way that we can learn to take up space, authentically.

Call to action: Try meditating for 10 minutes. Set a timer and go. How do you feel?