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We know it, but like...who has time for it.
We know the benefits of meditation. Loud and clear, and we will also start tomorrow, maybe. We love the concept of quiet, slowing down and being still. IN THEORY.
Let's be honest here: it is HARD to carve out time and actually stop and...just be.
Nama-stay not doing it.
To take our fast paced life styles racing 100 mph on any given moment of the day, and just like any vehicle traveling at warp speed, slam on the brakes for it to come to a crashing halt will have cataclysmic consequences.
So, again: let's be honest: Maybe we like the idea of sitting in a cross-legged lotus position, on a clean, creme colored couch in a south facing sun room. Spider plants and bamboo and all the plants that you once killed have resurrected to flourish & joyfully fill up your space. The perfectly manicured nails with the season's rave color, a "Be there in a Prosecco" for the fall, holds your matcha tea in a silent house, maybe a distant wind chime, some birds singing to you like a Disney movie greet your ears so softly, as to welcome never to distract. Go on, now, Snow White!
And let's not forget your clear, dewy skin, zero eye bags and chin hair, and somehow you just look effortlessly flawless like a curated IG post in a cardigan and leggings that you just "put together" after morning sex and an epic orgasm...yeah, let's set that scene. And, exhale.
UGH. RIGHT?!!
Back here, babe. Reality. That scenario and expectation is more damaging that anything else. It is an unrealistic expectation. Say that again.
Now, I am not sayin that it can't be that, but...
Building a mindfulness practice is about BEING in your life, not escaping it.
Being mindful is not putting on a facade and pretending, rather your practice is about BEING present in whatever state you are in, whatever version of you is showing up and whatever mess or peace you feel surrounded by.
Welcoming the pause and being present will transform the way you show up in your life, how you feel about yourself and your relationships with others. If you are interested, you can read more about the benefits HERE.
But for now, take a few deep breaths...go on, I'll wait....
And connect with some tips on how to build a mindfulness practice of your own to create some calm, clarity and connection into your most likely fast paced and chaotic life.
GET REAL:
Start asking yourself some honest questions: What is your practice going to look like: What is not of interest to you? What do you like? What can you, in reality, commit to: five minutes, ONE deep breath? a post it note?
If sitting cross-legged in a garden isn't your jam or isn't even possible, then nix it! Seriously! Holding on to someone else's interpretation of what it should look like is a massive set up for failure and the shame spiral that ensues.
You can decide what, the location, how much, the frequency, duration and even the activity of what makes YOU happy and what fits best into YOUR life.
My fav therapist, John Kim believes that riding his motocycle is mindful and meditative.
The kind of physical and mental attention you exhibit in yoga, you might also exhibit while riding a motorcycle – it requires intense focus and concentration, and trains your mind to maintain a more meditative state. To exclude people from the meditation conversation just because it’s not what might be considered traditional will only push people away from wanting to learn more about it in general.
And I totally co-sign this and am forever a JK Stan. Again, bringing mindfulness into YOUR life is what this is about. Finding ways to appreciate what you love will help you to connect deeper within yourself and fill up your own cup just a bit more. (side note: does the pic in this post NOW make sense??).
DO WHAT YOU LIKE & BREATHE
Doing something and thinking about something, anything else, is the biggest check out of ALL TIME. Building up that intentionality muscle to be in the NOW and connect to what you are doing, with your breath and being, that's the FLEX we want.
If you are a runner, RUN! And while running commit to checking it, breathing and staying focused on the breath and the road in front of you, the holes in the side walk, the crosswalks and traffic. And honestly, it's gonna be pretty hard to run if you aren't present...hit by cars, eaten by animals...something.
The point is doing what you are doing and OBSERVING and BEING in the moment of your being. Rather than wash dishes and be pissed off that someone who said they were going to help is watching the fuckin game, observe and be. Breath and pay attention to the dishes, the waiter, the pattern on the Corelle plates, and if you are feeling REALLY in the mood, pay attention and notice the inside of the dishwasher, being present and curious enough to slow down for a second to actually watch what you are doing is meditative.
Shit, If the only time of the day when you have some reprieve is washing dishes, then start there!
Building this practice INTO your life, not around it and not away from it is how you find the connection to what you are doing and it becomes intentional.
F*CK the Rules
All the noise, man, it's too much and so dang unnecessary. That noise of what you should do and how it should be and how you ought to conform is just noise, and not to mention some kind of projection into their own lives amirite??
Living above all of that is challenging and can make you feel all kinds of low vibrational emotions: shame, fear, worry, worthlessness...so please, be kind to yourself and allow this practice to BE YOURS without expectations and rules.
It's always a good idea to bust out of the limiting box that society puts us in, to breath free of the generational patterns that no longer serve us and it's high time that your life start living by its own rules, ya know?
So, that's all for now friend. Remember, you GOT this. You always have.
See you soon and keep breathing,
xo,
Angela
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