Most of the time that’s easier said than done. With the busy lives everyone tends to lead these days, we often forget to just sit back, relax and take a breather. I’m talking about really, breathe. Focus on what your mind and body are telling you, that kind of relax. That’s right this is a post about meditation!
I try to practice meditation any chance that I can. Doing all the mom things though, that didn’t seem to happen very often. Until I became intentional about wanting freedom from stress and anxiety and wanted to focus on my health, mental and physical. The key is find a schedule or time that works best for you. This is because meditation is just for you. I have found that meditating just before I fall asleep is the best time for me. I do it at that time because that is one of the only times I have to myself. But if 2 in the afternoon is the time you have to yourself, then take advantage of it!
Meditation is part of taking care of yourself. It is is good in so many different ways. It helps to declutter your mind. Once you get the hang of it you can actually weed out things that are negative or that are upsetting you. It allows you to focus on all the good that is flowing into your life. If your allowed to focus on the good in your life your mood will improve, and the issues you were having won’t seem quite so big any longer.
Mediation also helps reduce stress and anxiety. Reducing those two thibgs is mostly the reason I practice meditation. 2016/2017 and the beginning of 2018 was pretty much just a blur for me. I constantly felt lost and like I was living without a purpose. I would wake up, get ready for work, get my two older girls ready for school, my niece and nephew ready for daycare, drop everyone off, go to work, then pick everyone up, go home, make dinner, clean up and go to bed. That was just the routine. Day in and day out. Add on top of that, being pregnant, having your significant other move four hours away, Dhs stuff for the niece and nephew, a little girl stuggling with a mental health disorder, moving and extended family being upset with the dhs sitatuion and you moving away.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining. It might have been a blur, it might have been hectic for a long while, but in the midst of all of that there were good times! I would try and stay up a little while after everyone had gone to bed and just read, maybe watch TV or chit chat with my night owl friends. It helped to make it through the tough times. Once I started reading more about meditation though, I wanted to get into it.
Instead of watching TV, I would practice meditating. I was able to sort out my own personal thoughts and goals and begin to reevaluate who I was and how the experiences I was going through were changing me. In 2016 I started experiencing anxiety, I had had my niece one other time for four months, and when she was being returned home, my body and mind just kind of shut down. I didn’t know how to handle myself any more. I had panic attacks frequently. Later that year, when her and her little brother came back into my care, shortly after I had found out I was pregnant, the panic attacks came back full force. I was an emotional mess.
The meditation has helped me deal with negative emotions towards my sister, I truly do love her dearly. In the moment though, I was angry that her drug addiction had placed her children in a shitty situation and me and my family in a shitty situation. Mostly her kiddos though, because they didn’t ask for what happened. They deserved to have their mama with them. Meditation helped me understand that she is a good person, she just as a problem, as is true with most addicts. Practicing meditation also helped reduce the stress I was having. It helped me to learn to let go of the small things and understand that I cannot control everything. Life is a roller coaster, just buckle up and enjoy the ride.
Meditation is also amazing at helping with sleep! Let’s face it, it can be super hard to sleep with all those ideas and thoughts rolling around in your head. It’s also hard to snooze when you are stressed out. Calming your mind is a great way to ease into your slumber. After I meditate, I usually sleep a lot better, my dreams aren’t as crazy and I don’t wake up as grumpy (real talk: mama loves her sleep and is generally grumpy in the morning, I’m working on that though!).
This isn’t something that is just for hippies. Everyone can do it! I’ve been trying to get my older girls involved in it. Middle school is rough, we all know that! I’m hoping that meditation will help them sort through their stress and anxiety about the drama, and just learn to let it go! As it helps with depression and anxiety, both of my girls can benefit greatly from this. Elderly people can also get on board with all of this! One of the most beneficial factors of meditation is that it helps improve your memory! It actually improves and changes your brain and your body.
I remember in high school, my choir teacher told someone “you aren’t getting sick, tell yourself you aren’t getting sick and you won’t get sick!” Now, this might have just been some weird trick he wanted the soloist to try, or he was a meditator. I’m going to go with the latter. I have tried it many times and it’s been a while since I’ve had a cold. Now, saying you aren’t going to get sick and believing it, isn’t always going to be a cure all. Not having a cold doesn’t mean that I didn’t get the flu this last spring. Which was nasty and horrible!
What do you need to do to meditate?not much really. Like with anything else it takes practice. The key is to not get too frustrated with yourself or expect to much from your first few times. I’ve only been meditating for a little while and I still need practice.
Some helpful hits:
- Relax and have fun with it.
- Sit or lay down, which ever is comfortable for you.
- You can have your eyes closed or open, it doesn’t really matter!
- Start off by focusing on your breathing. Feeling your chest rise and fall and letting your muscles relax with each breath.
- It’s okay to let your mind wander, once you realize it, acknowledge your thoughts and refocus on your breathing.
Meditation is a great way for you to be present and in the moment. It also helps you be more mindful and intentional. If my world is falling apart, as it often does, I slip away for a few minutes, close my eyes and just breathe.
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