The Time I Tried... Meditating

It’s no secret that meditation is supposed to work wonders on your mind and body, and now  research shows it can even help you at work. In a recent study published in Journal of Workplace Behavioral Health, nurses who implemented a mindfulness-based stress reduction program (a mix of mindfulness meditation, yoga, stretching, and group discussions) felt a significant decrease in employee stress and burnout. 

Well it’s all fun and games until you actually try and meditate. If I had a dollar for every time I’ve sat myself in a quiet room, crossed my legs, and attempted to clear my mind… I’d be writing this post in a new pair of Louboutins.

Fact of the matter is, meditating is hard!!! In a world where we’re always running, always over stimulated with thoughts and plans and work… it’s surprisingly difficult to be still with your own thoughts.

Just the other day, I attempted to take just ten minutes – TEN minutes – to myself. And here’s what happened:

My 10 Stages of Meditation

Stage 1: 
Everyone has told me the multitude of benefits of meditation. Clearly this is something I should do to declutter my mind. I’m going to seize the moment, take all my thoughts, and sit with them. Okay, now I need to find a place to sit.

Stage 2:
I sit on the floor in my bedroom. Lucy climbs in my lap. Need to find quieter place.

Stage 3:
I’m now sitting Indian-style in my closet. I’m feeling tired. And a little annoyed that my mind isn’t getting quiet. Doesn't my brain know it’s meditation time?!

Stage 4:
I take a few deep breaths. Breathing. I can do this.

Stage 5:
I picture myself sitting in a yoga pavilion in Bali. My body starts to relax. Crap, now I want to go back to Bali.

Stage 6:
Now I’m running the numbers in my head on how much my trip to Bali cost and how long it would take me to save up enough to go back.

Stage 7:
…OK, back to breathing. 

Stage 8:
Ah, I feel my diaphragm rising with each breath… I think I’m on to something.

Stage 9:
I’m suddenly hyper aware of my breath, and am beginning to enjoy a few moments of true mindfulness. I see my thoughts float by, and my breathing gets deeper as I sink into the ground. Am I meditating? I think I am!

Stage 10:
I guess I didn’t close the door hard enough. Lucy shimmied her way into the closet and is now sitting on my lap, licking my face.

I guess I’ll try again tomorrow.  

My meditation mission is not over! A good girlfriend recently signed up for the 21-Day Meditation Experience hosted through Deepak Chopra (the King of mindfulness!) and Oprah. It’s free, and you according to the website, is an experience that will help you manifest true success. An excerpt from the Chopra Center Meditation:

True success is a joyful creative process that you can access and build upon each day to bring more brilliance, abundance, and innate prosperity into every aspect of your life. In this illuminating three-week journey, we will be your guides, every day, as you travel a path from limiting beliefs to discovering within yourself that your successes can be infinite. Your transformation begins on Monday, March 16th in our all-new 21-Day Meditation Experience, Manifesting True Success. It’s free and fulfilling. Embark on your life-changing journey! Register now!

I signed up – clearly I need all the tips and tricks I can to help get myself centered and keep my mind quiet. If you’ve ever been interested in meditating and/or manifesting a life you want, sign up!! It’s free – what do you have to lose?

And what about you out there? Anyone try meditating? If so, with all the options to choose from, what works for you?

XO,

Jenn