Meditation is such a powerful tool that many of us don’t use enough of. We over pack our schedules, creating a chaos inside of us that feels like a volcano preparing to erupt. Am I right? Can I get an AMEN! I know, because that was me last week!! I could feel my stress and anxiety skyrocketing as the week went on. And do you know what the escalation was caused by…lack of meditation. There are multiple titles to what I call “meditation”: quiet time, time out, take a breather. The idea is to take a period of time to just BE in a space without movement.

Time Blocks

I get it. Putting aside time throughout our crazy days is a crazy idea to begin with!! However, it doesn’t have to be an hour, it doesn’t have to be half an hour. I settle on ten minutes most days, and those days I conquer ALL!!! What it comes down to is block out the amount of time that works for you. We are all completely different, with different schedules. Block off time in the morning, afternoon, or even afternoon if that’s what you have to do. The point is to just DO IT! Put it on your schedule every day to ensure it happens.

How To BE

The beauty of meditation, is that there isn’t one perfect way. With so many different tools out there, retreats, and coaching out there, I understand it can be overwhelming. But, I’m here to tell you it doesn’t have to be over complicated. In fact, that completely defeats the purpose of meditation. Here are some simple ideas to test out on your own:

Lay down in complete silence. (Simple, right? In your room, the couch, your car-my usual go to.)

Play some calming music as you work on a puzzle or art project. (Coloring, legos, needle point, etc.)

Running. (Sounds UN-relaxing, but not everyone needs to lay down to reboot.)

Sit in a relaxed posture and deep breathe. (Let the oxygen flow rejuvenate your body.)

If you have more time and want to go for a deeper meditation try these ideas out:

Guided Meditation Classes. (There are many options out there. Check the local yoga spots or the Y.)

Massage. (I could go for one right about now. Release tension and create amazing blood flow.)

Yoga (I book my once a week class. I love it.)

Tai Chi. (Low impact, not strenuous. Calming motions.)

Download an App. (With hundreds out there, I stay away from them. But, I have heard many friends say the love Headspace. I have also used Calm for my kiddos in the past. They love the stories before bed.)

Importance of BEing

It may be pretty obvious why we need to take a breather during the day, but so very few of us do. If time is an issue, let me explain why you need to begin prioritizing meditation every day.

The stress reduction alone should cause us to pause on a daily basis. The increase of cortisol due to stress promotes inflammation which leads to disruptive sleep, depression, anxiety, blood pressure spikes, decreases blood pressure, as well as fatigue and the lovely “brain fog”.

Anxiety build up is a main reason I meditate. It reduces anxiety disorders, and job related anxiety in high pressure work environments. Office meditation clinics are becoming a “real thing”.

The decrease of inflammation when you meditate actually gives you a better self image and improves your outlook on life. When you practice mindfulness meditation you build a beautiful and self loving relationship with yourself. When you learn to let things go and just love where you are, you begin to find how amazing your life is instead of becoming depressed and over anxious.

“Squirrel”. You guessed it. When you meditate your focus becomes more refined. You execute your daily tasks more accurately. Why wouldn’t you want less scattered brain moments. And when your a mom, that is the ultimate benefit of meditation. Remembering all the places to go, people to meet, checks to write, and managing it all..meditation will become almost as priceless as an assistant.

Getting the right amount of zzzz’s is always difficult. Meditation assists in controlling those “floating ideas” that constantly pop into your head when you finally lay down to sleep at night. And we all know that sleeping the best amount for ourself improves our actions and words throughout the day. When you sleep better, your mood gets better. Meaning, you won’t be so cranky all the time. And let’s face it, our kids aren’t the only ones that have tantrums when they are tired!

It also increases activity in the brain centers that control pain. Assisting those with chronic and or intermittent pain to lessen and control the pain sensitivity. I cannot begin to tell you how much meditation and visualization truly controlled my physical pain during child birth. If there is ever a study conducted on pain control in relation to meditation, they need to study on pregnant women. So many people have shrugged their shoulders at how I endured labor, and other insanely physically challenging events, without any drugs or assistance. The answer is meditation and yoga. I loved prenatal yoga. Most of my classes centered around visualization and breathing. Those two elements are master keys to overcoming pain. I am fully convinced, if you experience immense pain, meditation will make you and your mind conquer it…with less pain inflicted.

Give Yourself A Gift

Why do we not teach our children how to have down time? Probably because we as adults have no idea how to give ourselves down time. We are constantly running from one thing to the next, filling our schedules, and trying to maintain a lifestyle we worked so hard for. When we remember to pause, take some time to reboot, we create a wonderful and beautiful gift to ourselves. We give ourselves a gift of BEing. Of truly taking in the breath of life that we work so hard to keep. Calming our mind just enough to really emcompass WHAT and WHY our life is. So give yourself a beautifully wrapped and shiny gift every day. Give yourself time!