Good Morning my brother/sisters in Christ. I pray that you’ve been living with intention, and purpose on today. Just like many of you as I journey on my path to purpose and self-care I’m trying new things that make me press the pause button. Naturally, when I think about being at peace I think about meditating. Whether that’s meditating on the Word of God or meditating in a quiet place. My goal was to find a healthy alternative to some bad habits I had when I found myself stressed or having anxiety. (Tip: In order to be intentional you have to have a reason why you’re doing it. Then you have to establish an end goal.)
I began my meditation pursuit with the Google App store. Lol. There are so many apps that are geared toward meditation. I tired a few of them out. Listened to people telling me to, “focus on their voice. Clear my mind. Be one with myself.” I soon learned that listening to other people talk me through mantra’s wasn’t that peaceful. I spent most of the time thinking about other things. I found a few apps that didn’t have someone talking to me. Instead, they offered an extensive list of sounds. That wasn’t so bad. The only downfall was the app automatically placed ads on my phone. So I was annoyed, again. I finally did some research about things to focus on while meditating and came across what seems to be working for me now. So here is how I finally started meditating with intention:
- I first realized why I wanted to explore meditation as a self-care technique. I was drawn to meditation because it was something that I could do to add focus to my life.
- I then set a goal. My goal was to find out which meditation technique worked for me. You will have to try a few to find your fit.
- I came up with a time frame when to meditate. Ultimately, I would like to do it every day. At this current moment, I do it when I’m stressed, have anxiety, am feeling overwhelmed, or when I need to recharge.
Note: Often times we have a battle going on in our minds. Our thoughts can dictate how we feel, how we express ourselves, and how we react to certain situations. We spend a good amount of time trying to master our thoughts. You know, “show them who’s boss.” Mediation has truly allowed me to acknowledge my thoughts without allowing them to dictate my response. For instance, I acknowledge that work was stressful today. However, my mental focus is on peace. I choose to meditate on my breathing. Allowing each breathe to be intentional. Realizing that as I breathe slowly in through my nose, and out through my mouth that I’m blessed to be living. As I inhale and exhale it resembles the sounds of the music I’m listening to through my earbuds. This is important! I have a meditation Spotify playlist that I listen to THROUGH MY EARBUDS. The sound penetrates through me when it’s in close proximity versus me playing music over a speaker. (Sidenote: If you would like my Meditation Spotify Playlist email me mindfulofmemoments@gmail.com)
As I mention earlier I focus on my breathing when I meditate. I do that through my entire meditation session. I literally have never been so in-tune to inhaling or exhaling in my life. Lol. I wanted to share my breathing counts with you so that you can have a starting point when trying to develop meditation techniques. There are numerous breathing techniques on the web that you can find. I tried a few and decided to make up my own. (Sidenote: When meditating I am positioned in an upright stance with my legs crossed. I also do this sitting upright in a chair focusing on proper posture.) Here is my breathing technique:
- Inhale slowly through your nose taking air from stomach diaphragm. As you inhale slowly count to 5.
- Hold your breath for 2-3 seconds.
- Exhale slowly through your mouth making a whoosh sound. Count to 5.
- Repeat
Simple enough, right. Keep in mind folks I am a beginner. My meditation playlist is roughly 30 mins. That seems to be the sweet spot for my time frame currently. As I progress I’m sure I will adapt alternate breathing techniques and postures. As for now, I’m loving my new found zen. Remember, all of this is about self-care. Find something that you can do for yourself that brings you joy, and peace. Blessings.
Mindful of Me 