Though I’ll admit my practice ebbs and flows depending on what’s going on in my life, I’ve been meditating for almost 20 years now. I typically like to do it first thing in the morning — sometimes for 10 minutes, sometimes for an hour — so that I can start my day from a really grounded place (and because that’s my alone time now that I have kids).
I’ve always found peace, healing, and solace in meditation — and that’s especially true (and important) right now when we’re amidst so much unrest and it’s so easy to operate out of fear.
In times like these, I also think that children need their parents to set the tone. If I’m frightened and frazzled, my kids absorb it all like sponges. Meditation helps me stay calm and balanced, so that I can show up for my kids and help them to feel more at peace and less afraid.
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I believe meditation can have a profound impact on a much larger scale, too. Our thoughts are powerful; they literally create our reality. Meditation can truly help all of us change the collective energy of our world and transform our reality into a more positive one.
I know what you’re thinking:
Not true! Every minute is valuable — and you can make meditation incredibly simple.
See for yourself. Here’s my routine:
- Find a quiet spot (I like to be outside) and sit however you feel comfortable (perhaps cross-legged or with your feet planted on the ground). Sit straight up, keep your back tall, and rest your hands wherever feels good.
- Close your eyes and focus on your breathing. Don’t try to change anything about it; just pay attention to it; be conscious of it. If you have a thought, don’t sweat it. Just come back to your breath.
- After about five minutes (or however long you have available to you) of focusing on your breath, start to think about the intention of your meditation. What questions or worries do you have? What changes do you want to see? What can you do to make those changes?
- For the next few minutes, see what answers flow in and out naturally and spend as much time on them as you feel you need.
- Finally, open your eyes. I like to write down what thoughts and answers popped up for me so that I really absorb them, and invite you to try that, too.
Hopefully, you’ll have discovered how you can be a part of the solution right now, or gained clarity on something that had been weighing on your heart. From here, it’s up to you to put your thoughts, intentions, and insights into action.
Wherever your meditation takes you, I believe it gives you a chance to connect to your true self, and that’s a really powerful thing — especially right now.
