Meditation

I’ve said before that meditation was something I viewed as “hokey” or “new-agey”. It was something that required too much inner work and concentration to where I didn’t think I could do it.

I discovered I just didn’t understand it. I wanted to share my journey on how it became such a part of my life and an integral part of my healing.

HOW IT WAS INTRODUCED

A few years ago, my mother happened upon a dvd at the library and decided to check it out. She mainly thought it was interesting, and casually mentioned it to me. It was a documentary called The Connection. I hesitantly decided to give it a gander, not knowing how much this little guy would impact my life. I was amazed by the personal stories of healing as a result of simply meditating regularly. The reality that meditation could actually help heal my body was beyond my comprehension at that time.

HOW I GOT STARTED

In the beginning, I had no idea how I was going to approach this, but I was determined because I desperately wanted to get better. I decided to look for a phone app as a guide. I eventually found one called Calm. Within the app, there’s a choice to have someone verbally walk you through the process.

I practiced several times with the “training wheels” and finally decided to try it on my own, with the calming music.

I focused on my breathing, how I was feeling physically at that moment and being aware of all things going on around me ie. noises, smells. I did this for about 20 minutes. At the close of that 20 minutes I couldn’t believe how great I felt! I likened it to having taken a pill because I felt so much different, and it took the same amount of time for a pill to take effect. That feeling lasted for hours!

LASTING RESULTS

What I mean by lasting results is whenever I practice meditation regularly, overall, my body and mind feel different. Better.

I had always struggled with feeling stressed and anxious. It got to the point where those feelings were always very close to the surface. The smallest kink in my day would result in an extreme reaction or feeling of panic. I was so tired of living that way.

What I discovered from meditating was, the more frequently I engaged in it, the more “kinks” it would take for me to get to my tipping point. I just couldn’t believe how taking my mind off of my stresses for a period of time each day could allow that to occur.

I’m not an expert on the science behind it, but there is an explanation. The Connection documentary provides a simplification on the process.

THE REALITY

Meditation is something that has recently become a part of my daily life in some way or another. But, just like everything else in life, busyness can take over. There are times when I’m more dedicated than others. Sometimes I don’t get back to it until I notice my anxiety levels have reached the surface again. The great news? Every single time, after that first reintroduction, the calming results are there. Thankfully!