I remember a time when I thought meditation was complete bogus. Admittedly, it almost felt like mockery when people advised me to sit down and focus on my breathing when all I wanted to do was burry myself in work to distract myself from my feelings. The idea of doing nothing at all when I had a lot to do felt even more stressful and the thought of embracing my emotions when all I wanted to do was escape my head felt downright scary. It was an equation I just couldn't solve - until I found the right forms of meditation FOR ME, some might call them mindfulness pracitces but to me those two go hand in hand. It has taken many years of trial and error and although I rarely do seated meditation in the traditional sense I practice meditation daily. Here is how:
WALKING MEDITATION
Instead of listening to a chatty podcast episode or up beat music when I go on my walks I prefer to do walking meditations. My favorite app for guided meditations is the Superhuman App. You pay for a monthly subscription but I would definitely say that it's worth every penny (+ there is also a money back guarantee). Once you log in there is an abundance of meditations for when you are cooking, cleaning, resting or in my case - walking. If you want to try it out even before you sign up Mimi Bouchard, the founder of Superhuman has shared some free guided meditations on her Spotify. I will link them below and please give them a try because they are incredible!
BRICK BUILDING
Whether it is a puzzle or a lego build the effect it has on my mental state is the same. Searching for pieces, matching them together and creating something beautiful requires my unshared attention and it results in a feeling of contentness and fullfillment. I might not be tackling my emotions head on when doing this but it's mindfulness at it's finest and it's great for the cognitive function and thereby healthy brain development (and no - the brain never stops to develop).
ATTENTIVE PRESENCE
This form of meditation works wonders when I am feeling stressed or anxious and I love to do it while eating. It works like this: I close my eyes and begin with a few deep breaths while I try to describe to myself three things I can hear and three things I can smell. For example it could be the sound of my breath, the scent of roasted potatoes, or the roaring of cars in the distance. As I take my first bite I continue by chewing slowly and focus on the things I can taste. Practicing this form attentive presence while consuming a meal makes me appreciate the food more and thereby feel more content afterwards. It also helps to slow down the eating and increase the amount of chewing which is amazing for digestion.
SLEEP MEDITATION
You might notice that I find it difficult to dedicate sole time to laying down and meditating. I prefer to implement the idea of habit stacking and incorporate meditation into my daily activities. However, at night, after I have read a few pages in my book and I am ready to go to sleep I am already laying down so there is reason for me not put on a guided sleep meditation. I have also found that it helps me fall asleep faster and get more deep sleep thoughout the night.
Opmerkingen