I have so enjoyed writing my latest “For the Love of” series, where I share my long-term fitness passions of yoga, weight training, and spinning; I have decided to continue my journey of odes to other areas that make up my Bend Burn Breathe well-being universe (you can see that vision laid on on my home page). The “bend” of Bend Burn Breathe is all about the flexibility and plasticity of the mind, from having a growth mindset and being resilient to learning how to harness the power of focus of calm through meditation and mindfulness. Today’s post is about my journey into meditation and mindfulness and how you can harness its great benefits.
One spring evening in 2004, my fiance suddenly called it quits and moved out soon after. He asked for the living room futon as part of the separation, and I hastily agreed. Very distraught, I pulled a long-ignored chakra meditation book off the shelf, sat cross-legged on my couchless living room floor, shut my eyes, and followed the book’s instructions. I sat and meditated for days and days, twirling my seven chakras one by one through tears and heartbreak until they could twirl no more. This experience marked my first independent effort into meditation. And it helped.
Until then, any exposure primarily came from the yoga classes I had been taking more of since the 1990s. So until I pulled that book off the shelf, I had yet to consider making a dedicated time to practice. I then skirted and danced around meditation for years because, like many other people, I had difficulty keeping a regular practice. It also wasn’t as accessible, and you had to do it the old-fashioned way – sit in silence. Smartphones and YouTube were in their infancy, and the first meditation app wouldn’t debut until 2011!
I finally became more immersed in meditation through mindfulness when I started my corporate well-being career. For those who are curious about the difference between meditation and mindfulness, the latter is the non-religious form of meditation that was popularized in the West in the 1970s and began to take hold in the 2010s in more and more corporate settings (here is a terrific article on the history of mindfulness). This was the case at dressbarn, my first workplace well-being job, with a forward-thinking corporate culture. Not only did we offer mindfulness workshops to employees, but I also began to co-lead them. While the ideal may be to practice every day for 20 minutes, I learned that any amount of time quieting the mind is beneficial. Mindfulness now became much more accessible. I have been teaching mindfulness wherever I have worked since, run global mindfulness programs, and sought additional training.
One of the things that initially hooked me to meditation was that if I sat long enough, my body would completely relax and shift into what felt like another dimension of serenity. I encourage you to try longer meditations after you have attempted shorter lengths to experience this delicious feeling. Another great benefit of meditation is that I am better at working through difficult emotions when I commit to sitting regularly for practice. As I navigate this layoff, I have found it challenging to focus and get grounded. This week, I have promised to practice more and better utilize meditation as one of the tools in my resiliency toolbox.
If meditation and mindfulness seem intimidating, trying it’s easier than ever. Countless apps on the market, like Insight Timer, Headspace, and Calm, offer easy-to-follow guided meditations on various topics and lengths. However, you can try it right now in just 30 seconds:
Sit comfortably with a tall spine with your feet on the floor. Rest your hands on your lap and relax your shoulders. Gently close your eyes. Inhale slowly through your nose for three counts, and then exhale through the nose for three counts. Then return to your natural breath, sitting quietly for a moment with your closed eyes. Gently open your eyes and take note of how you feel.
You don’t need to experience something as dramatic as a break-up to start meditating. Instead, decide on a good time to carve out just a few minutes of quiet, uninterrupted time for yourself a few days a week. Find a guided meditation you like and reap the benefits of dedicated “you” time.
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