Meditation: Do it Your Way

Meditation is the art of finding stillness amidst the chaos, a sanctuary for the soul in a world of constant motion.

 

Ah, meditating, the process of sitting still, clearing the mind and relaxing… unless you’re me, in which case the legs go numb, and my stomach decides it wants a chat. You get the picture. The moment there is a semblance of silence, my brain takes it as a cue to start thinking about everything and anything all at once. I used to get frustrated, and it took me a while to realise there are many ways to find stillness.

I spent years reading books and attending classes where the message was sitting still was the only way to meditate. It took me a while to accept that whilst I agree meditation is important, sitting in silence does not suit everyone, and that’s okay.

My process of connecting to the stillness changes daily depending on what my mind and body need.

If maintaining a daily meditation routine feels like a challenge, fret not! I have some fantastic tips to make your journey towards consistent meditation a breeze. Check out these invaluable insights that can truly make a difference.

Go for a walk

Grab some headphones and go for a walk. It doesn’t have to be a Tolkienesque journey; a walk around the local neighbourhood or a green space is perfectly okay. Fresh air and a change of scenery can have a fantastic effect.

What to listen to? I’ll leave that up to you. I’d listen to comedy podcasts or music (anything from rap to classical), but over time I found I didn’t need a soundtrack and learned to enjoy the sounds of life happening around me.

Move around

If you have an abundance of excess energy and your body needs to release it before you can settle down, move around. Put in your favourite song and dance, or practice qigong (plenty of videos on YouTube).

After I’ve moved around and released the excess, it becomes much easier to sit still and calm my mind.

Guided meditations

Okay, you’re grounded but struggling to get into the right headspace for some reason. Try listening to a guided meditation for five or ten minutes. It will quiet down the mental chatter, and when you’re ready, you can turn it off and meditate in silence. There are many free meditation apps, such as Insight Timer or Calm. Alternatively, there are many on YouTube.

Maybe not today

There will be days when nothing works despite your best efforts, which is okay. If that happens, don’t feel guilty.

Finally, be kind to yourself

I felt terrible that I couldn’t sit still and just be, especially as a Medium; it’s a prerequisite. The day I accepted, there were 8 billion people in the world, and we all do things differently, so why should meditation be any different? I hope this advice helped, and remember to do what works for you.