Are your emotions running your life? Do you feel overwhelmed, exhausted or nothing at all? Emotions are simply energy in motion- they can be intense, but they are fluid and ever changing.
Can you slow down long enough to notice the shift, the changes in your body before they become overpowering? Can you find a moment of pause before you react? Can you take a few deep breaths? This is meditation.
In meditation we find stillness in the body, we focus on our breath which calms our nervous system, and then we begin to observe: thoughts, sensation, emotions…we observe without reaction. We breathe into and experience pain, hurt, loneliness, and by doing so can then also understand and experience joy, happiness, love and peace.
Meditation gives us the space to observe the energy that can and will shift within our bodies if we allow them to be, and then allow them to pass. The only way out (of suffering) is to go within- first we must feel, and then we can begin the healing process. We don’t need to avoid or control our feelings, thoughts and emotions, just observe them, honor them, and then let that shit go.
This top picture is a little misleading…did you know that meditation doesn’t have to look like this? Whew, what a relief, right! There are certain benefits to sitting still, but personally, I also get a lot out of moving meditation practices, which is kinda why I decided to open up a studio and offer mindful fitness! You don’t have to sit to meditate, you don’t have to be still- there are no rules!
The biggest a-ha moment I had, (that actually allowed me to be able to meditate) was this Meditation is not about stopping or forcing out thoughts. It is about noticing your thoughts. Just as you might notice the color of your shirt. You notice it and go back to what you were doing.
Meditation can be easy and effortless; the less you do in meditation, the greater the benefits. It’s not a practice about judging or beating yourself up, in fact, it’s quite the opposite- an opportunity to love yourself a little deeper.
Are you looking for some guidance in your meditation practice? I highly recommend the Insight Timer app (they also have a free version). Check it out here!
