Archive for the ‘Meditation’ Category
Unexpected Meditation
I have just started a regular meditation practice, literally, as in today was the second day. Ok, so maybe that can’t be categorized as regular just yet, but its a start, and my intention is to do a minimum of 10 minutes a day, so that’s regular. I had been debating what is the best time of day for a meditation practice and came to the conclusion that (for me) unless it is a weekend day, the evening is the best. I find that from the moment I awake up during the week my mind begins racing with all of the things I have to do that day, particularly as it relates to work and this point in the game that is way too much distraction for a beginner like myself.
So today, my intention was to meditate just before settling down for the night. As often happens in life, my intention was thrown off course by unforseen circumstances. The day did not start out great, it was the first day back to work after the daylight savings time change and I didn’t wake up until much later than I had planned. Grogginess had taken over my body and I practically had to drag myself out of bed. Upon arriving at work I immediately had to deal with a disgruntled client and an employee that was MIA. As the day unfolded and I dealt with both of these situations I could feel that I was ready to lose it, I was on the verge of a breakdown. It was all I could do to compose myself enough to announce that I was going for a walk and that I would be back. As I walked down the stairwell and out the building all I could think about was how sad I felt that my uplifting weekend of inspirational yoga was being followed by such a crummy day. That being the case all I wanted to do was get back to that feeling from the weekend, I wanted to remember and feel those heart qualities from class. So, I decided to walk across the street to the park, sit in the grass, close my eyes and meditate. Read the rest of this entry »
Learning to Meditate
Today was my first real attempt at establishing a home meditation practice. It was a gorgeous Spring day and I was contemplating just where I should meditate. I thought about heading to the beach or even sitting out on my patio. In the end I opted for a sunny spot on my living room floor with no music and only the sound of the wind chimes outside my window. That, and the chirping of the birds. In the beginning I actually felt a little anxious. I remember thinking to myself, “Is this really anxiety? Why in the world am I feeling anxious right now?” I came to realize that this more of a feeling of excitement rather than fear, I was excited that I was actually carving out time in my day to do this thing I had thought about doing for so long.
I meditated for 10 minutes today and it went by much faster than I had anticipated. More surprisingly, I actually felt a tremendous amount of groundedness as my lower body settled into the floor beneath me. And yet my head was light, almost as if floating. Super cool and unexpected for only 10 minutes. I’m excited for the day I can work up to 30 minutes! First, I have to find a way to take the tension of sitting out up my upper back and shoulders. Any veterans out there with suggestions?
