Every now and then I receive emails with questions about various topics that I've discussed on the Health and Wellness Show. Lately, I have received quite a number of emails that have a similar inquiry - Meditation.
Does it seem like everyone else who meditates and talks about the benefits have it together? Well, the truth is, I talk about meditation and how great it is. However, it took me quite some time to get it right - well, I am actually a work in progress. I have heard about the benefits of meditation by many successful people and even more importantly, I have seen references to meditation in the bible. Needless to say, I decided that I would go for it. My family was alerted to my plan and they knew that I was not to be disturbed unless the house was on fire.
I would go into my room, turn the lights off, sit on the floor with my feet folded in front and my eyes closed. I sit and begin to clear my mind, listen to my breathing and try to center myself - sounds impressive? Well, far from it. I find that even though I am doing all the things I am supposed to do, I am distracted by the silence. I am thinking of dinner, my tasks, my goals, etc. I would sit there and then force myself not to think of those thoughts and try to block out the thoughts and focus on nothing. What is nothing? How do you focus on nothing? I try to blank it all out and by the time I think I have found that space of not being distracted, I am now disappointed at myself for not getting it sooner. There's goes my meditation.
Well, that went on for quite some time. The best thing ever was that I did not give up. Here are a few tips that I found to be helpful:
1. Give yourself time to get it right
2. Set aside 10-15 minutes to try it out every day at the same time (if you can)
3. Go into a quiet room where you wont be distracted
4. Get comfortable sit on the floor, you can turn the lights off, light a candle, or dim the
lights
5. Allow yourself to quiet your mind by focusing on a mantra - repeat it to yourself until you
are comfortable to let it go and just be still
Keep in mind that it may take up to 20 minutes before you can clear your mind into silence. By the time you achieve silence, stick with it for as long as you can. As time goes by with consistency you will master the art of meditation. Who knows, you may be getting up at 5:00am to meditate for an hour.
A Powerful Health Benefit - Meditation
