Meditation: Without the Pressure
We all (likely) have had meditation on our to-do list when it comes to wellness & healing, right? Key word, to-do list.
We are all searching for the answer to more peace but in order to make space for it, these tools for turning off the “noise” become check boxes. Can I get to x time so I turn off the noise for just 5 minutes?
Then self criticism comes into play because we couldn’t turn out brain off for even 5 minutes. “Why am I so bad at this? Meditating is too hard. I can’t do it.”
Anyone?
I’m going to give you some meditation rules:
It is not a HAVE to, it’s an I GET to
If you are in a HAVE TO mentality, just skip it. You are doing yourself a disservice by placing pressure on your healing. Notice when you have a glimpse of “open space” to meditate. This open space has a curiosity about it and an openness. THIS is your I GET to meditate moment. In your HAVE TO moments, take 3 deep full breaths instead.
There is no PERFECT time
You again, are setting yourself up for failure when you only meditate when there is a perfect, quite, empty house kind-of-moment. Meditation asks you to work the muscle of quieting the mind, no matter what noise is around. Maybe you learn to get comfortable with meditation in this more “perfect” scenario. BUT, get curious if you can breath through the noise and find moments of more stillness within it instead.
Remove the SHOULD’s
Meditation does not need to look a certain way, either. Move if you want to move. Keep getting more comfortable if you need to. Notice the thoughts move and flow through you and then return to your breath. Notice your breath move around your body and notice your body move around your breath, and then see what remains. Take away the expectation that it has to be a “profound” experience. Meditation will show you what you need to notice in that very moment. So, just notice.
As a guide, I work on somatic experiencing with my clients. This means, through meditative moments in session, I will get you into your body. This personally, allows me to make meditation filled with awareness I can take away and into my day. Notice your body. Notice where the breath moves. Is it shallow? Does it reach your belly? Can you feel its texture or its temperature? Where can you feel your body most? Is there any gripping, tightness or sensation? How is it speaking to you?
Meditation’s goal is to get your nervous system to calm out of its typical state (in our society) toward fight or flight & into a parasympathetic state of rest & digest. This is where our subconscious mind can truly come to the surface to present itself. It is our subconscious mind that holds the key to our transformation.
For more meditation tips & tricks, schedule a session with me today!
