We’re all going through challenging times, as the virus spreads with no cure.
What was once normal, now is in quarantine.
For how long? Unfortunately, we don’t have a clear answer to that.
What we can do, while stuck inside our homes, is to keep ourselves and our loved ones healthy, and develop a routine that soon will be our new normal.
Every day we wake up in the same bed, wander around the same places, more like same rooms, and we see the same faces for those lucky enough to have their loved ones with them.
I know it’s sad, it’s getting boring and I know you’re probably tired. The kind of tiredness that is filled with anxiety.
Don’t despair. This too shall pass eventually.
The way I see it is either you lie in a pool of self-pity or you do something about that. Why not take advantage of this time and learn something new or you take the time and work on yourself.
Everybody has at some point in time thought about meditation, some tried it a few times and then got caught up in excuses or life just happened.
There is no other better timing but now for meditation practice.
I know, it takes a lot of patience, practice, and time to achieve a meditative state.
We all work for others a minimum of 8 hours per day, 5 days a week. Why working for us 10 to 15 minutes a day should be that hard?
Among the best habits that I’ve developed in the past years was my meditation practice.
Actually, meditation played a crucial role in forming new healthy habits, it helped me become more focused, less anxious about discomfort, and to appreciate more the world around me.
But the most crucial thing was that it helped me better understand my own mind, to be more self-aware.
I’m far from perfect. In fact, I’m not even looking to be perfect and neither should you.
I’m looking for greatness!
So, how about you give it a try?
Here are some tips to help you get started and preferably motivate you enough to keep going.
Start small, but be consistent.
First thing in the morning
Let’s be honest, morning is relative. For some morning could be 5 AM, for others 11 AM. Do it first thing when you wake up.
Here’s a quick tip. Take that screen time when you scroll indefinitely on your phone, not all of it, just 5 minutes for starters, and use it for meditation. I’ll promise you it’ll change your life for the better.
It will be challenging at first, after all, you’re trying to fit in new habits on top of old, well-established ones.
Set reminders on your phone, or you could use some sticky notes and put them in a place where you are sure you’ll look at every time you wake up.
I would say to stick them on the ceiling, but that would be hilarious since it would require some big sticky notes to be able to see what’s written on them.
Stick them by the bed, or on your bathroom door, or your window.
I know you can get creative with this.
Comfortable meditation spot
Don’t overthink this! It can be a chair, it can be a yoga mattress, it can be a fluffy pillow, or maybe I can do it while sitting, or while in a lotus position with knees lower than my hips. Or maybe I should do it in a quiet spot in nature; it must be a tranquil zen Japanese garden… Aaargh! Do you see what I mean by overthinking it?
As long as you feel comfortable, that’s perfect and you should do it. Sit on the side of your bed, close your eyes, give it 5 minutes, and done. Simple and efficient!
Of course, you could dedicate a small place in your room for meditating. Have some favorite plants and crystals, light up a candle and/or an incense stick, and just do it. Keep it simple.
Once you choose a place, be sure to use it again in your next practice. The idea is to create good memories, feelings about that special place where you choose to meditate, and using it regularly will ease this new habit creation.
Mind your posture while meditating
As I said, lotus position doesn’t really matter. The secret is to sit straight, sit tall.
Keep your spine against the back of your chair or against the wall if you see that you can’t maintain an erect position.
Having lengthened your spine allows you to maintain deep breathing, thus increasing blood flow which will help you keep alert.
Show up for 5 minutes at the same place, same time, every day
Choose what’s comfortable for you and then keep improving it. It could be 2 minutes, it could be 5 or 15.
As you do with physical exercise, if you want to develop your muscles you must increase the number of weights or reps.
The same thing applies to train your brain for meditation. When you feel that the chosen time frame can be expanded, start adding 1 or 2 more minutes for a week or until you feel comfortable to increase the amount again.
Do this until you reach 30 minutes or more per session. Be very specific with what you want to achieve and keep practicing every day towards that goal.
Stay committed!
Isolate your environmental sounds. Dive deep!
Improve your concentration by listening to a calming, soothing melody.
For me, I found out that playing binaural beats help me focus. A calm instrumental melody almost like a chanting played on top of a background sound at a certain frequency. The best experience is by using headphones.
Depending on what you’re looking for, you can choose different frequency waves (beta, theta, alpha, or delta) or you could simply listen to Handpan or Tibetan singing bowls music.
I talk more about brainwaves and frequencies here.
You can find binaural beats music on YouTube and it’s free. I’ll link some below just to give you an example and you can go from there. Choose what feels right for you.
For the ultimate experience with binaural beats, headphones are recommended.
Love yourself
Don’t worry if you can’t keep a clear mind or stop all your thoughts for more than 3 seconds. The more you pressure yourself in the middle of your practice, the more you’ll feel distracted.
Clearing the mind is not the goal of meditation. We all have thoughts and that is normal, you can’t just press a button and shut down your brain.
Practice focusing your attention, that’s what is this all about. Come back when your mind starts to wander.
During meditation, you’ll notice all sorts of thoughts and feelings arising. Look at those as your friends, not enemies.
Meditation is a relationship. After all, it is all about your relationship with yourself.
Accept that all that’s happening is for a reason, and that is happening for you.
Observe your excuses. Don’t judge yourself!
As I said above, thoughts will pop up during meditation. Oh, and among those thoughts, there will be excuses, for certain.
“I need to eat”, “I don’t have enough time”, “I can’t calm my mind”, etc… Observe these excuses, notice how your mind justifies breaking the commitment.
Nonjudgmental, just observe. And then, let go and recommit.
Find a buddy or a community
It can be your spouse, a friend, or a like-minded community. Since most of us are in lockdown due to this global pandemic you could find alternatives, such as a facebook group, or a forum.
See what feels right for you, but at the same time get you out of that comfort bubble. By engaging in meditation with someone you’ll create accountability, which can be the answer to all those excuses.
Appreciate yourself when done
When done, be grateful for your health. Appreciate yourself for your trustworthiness, that you stuck with your commitment. Make this a good experience to come back to every day, same time, same place.
You could also take 5 minutes to reflect and notice the benefits of your freshly completed meditation session. How do you feel emotionally? How’s your mood? Do you feel detached? Write these notes in a notebook after each session, so these get carved in your mind. These notes will help you remember all the good things you’ve accomplished and will provide the drive to keep committed, next time you resist meditation.
Oh, and one more thing. Remember to always SMILE when you’re done!
Stay well, stay healthy, fly high!