08/03/2020
Stillness and Meditation
I’ve been practicing meditation for about 8 years now.
I remember the first time I tried it. I set a timer on for 3 minutes, closed my eyes and decided no matter what happened I wasn’t going to open them up until I heard the alarm ring.
It was a long 3 minutes and I had no idea what I was looking for. Thoughts kept running through my mind, “I wonder how long it’s been” “is the timer still on” “what am I supposed to feel” “should I be doing anything different” and it went on and on in so many directions until finally the alarm went off and I opened my eyes.
It felt like nothing had happened, but I was determined to get this practice going. Deep down I knew there was a lot of benefit to meditation and I wanted to learn how to do it better.
Soon the 3 minutes felt like no time. I would sit down and before I knew it 3 minutes was up. So gradually I bumped the time up to 4 mins, then 5 mins, and I kept going like that until I got to 20 mins. Now I do about 15-20 mins everyday.
I love moving and I love thinking and using my mind but without stillness and without slowing down the mind I find myself going out of balance.
It’s been a great practice, it’s helped with my mental clarity, my emotional resilience, it’s been a big part of my flexibility practice, it’s helped me bring awareness to my breath and posture. It’s so simple but it’s got so many benefits.
Do you meditate? Leave a comment and let me know if you do.