Does the idea of meditation conjure up ideas of a crystal filled, mystical and patchouli scented life?
I suppose it could, and that was the vision of meditation that held be back from giving it a go. It also seemed like so many unrelatable people talked about the practice and it felt like a bit of an elitist luxury. My thought was- I just need to hustle harder and work through the stress and challenges. I brushed off the idea of meditation because I did not know anything about it and most of all I simply was not ready to be open to new ideas.
Fortunately/unfortunately I thought I had a heart attack and once I found out stress was the main root of my problems I became open to as many self-care options as possible.
I started meditation to calm my mind and reduce stress. I feel more grounded, mindful, and relaxed after a session and the amazing thing is I saw the effects take place in my life. I don’t tend to get as frustrated driving, I am more kind to people, I do not get as worked up during my kid’s soccer and basketball games. One of the best things is that my family sees me tying and my kids can see their dad working to be better human.
I am still a complete beginner and admit ably I do not practice as consistently as I could. But I do know that when I go a few days without taking some critical time for myself I can really feel it and meditation helps pull me back into a place I want to be.
Whether you want to relax, stimulate creativity, gain enlightenment, or cultivate compassion and mindfulness, meditation is an incredible tool to add to support your mental wellbeing.
There are a ton of options to get started in meditation. I started with a meditation app (I cannot recall which one because I do not use it anymore). I then simply switched to look up meditations on YouTube because they are at no cost and I could search through a variety of guided presentations and lengths of time.
There is an incredible amount of meditation info on the internet. I cannot recommend one site, app or instructor over another as I think that can be pretty personal. I do think a major key is buying in and wanting the practice to work for you.
I see and feel the benefits of meditation and as I grow with the practice I plan to share on the blog.