There is one small change that I make in my life that improves everything in it for the better. My health, physical appearance, attitude, happiness level, brain function, sleep, relationships. Sounds to good to be true, right? It has been scientifically proven to be possible to do these things. All it takes is 20 minutes once or twice a day to see the benefits and and to top it all off I can do it sitting on my couch. Ready to hear what this magical change is? Meditation.
Meditation is by no means new, but the one thing that has changed over time is it’s popularity here in the United States. Ever so slowly its crept into mainstream culture. As science validates it’s results it’s been seen as more woo hoo and less woo woo.
I was thirteen when my mother and I first went to learn meditation. We traveled an hour and a half to our states biggest city to meet with a woman who taught us the wonderful art of Transcendental Meditation (TM). I was unaware at the time, but that was probably one of the most influential days of my childhood and greatest gifts (besides life) that my parents ever gave me.
After learning TM my mother and I would practice regularly together. The recommended two times a day. 20 minutes for her and 13 for me, since I was 13 years old. The goal for me would be to increase my meditation time one minute every year until I reached age 20.
Throughout my teenage years I wasn’t always consistent with my practice, but I always came back to it, knowing how good the results could be. I never spoke of meditation to any of my friends, choosing not to share this part of my life with others.
Meditation got me through college. Often before writing a big paper, I would meditate and afterwards the words would easily flow.
Meditation helped me through chronic migraine pain.
Meditation got me through long days at a hard and emotionally draining job. Sometimes after work I would pull into the garage, sit in my car and meditate before even going in the house.
Meditation got me through two natural childbirths.
Meditation got me through being a new mom.
There have been times in my life when I’m a two times a day, seven days a weeks meditator and times when I squeeze it in here and there. With out a doubt I can tell the difference when I practice regularly. Even my husband, who is just about as far from a fan of anything new age as they come, in moments when I am acting like a less lovely version of myself will say, “Have you meditated today? Would you like to take a few moments to do that.”
When I am practicing regularly, a meditation session is like nothing I have ever experience. The depths my brain is able to go blow me away and it’s pure euphoria. I can feel my brain processing, shedding unnecessary information and diving deeper and deeper into my unconscious mind. It’s splendid.
Meditation can be daunting at first. It’s like exercise. It takes some time to build up that meditation muscle and it can be hard and frustrating getting there. Thoughts of, “I should be doing something more productive with my time, I have so much to get done” or “I just want to numb out with a bowl of ice cream and a mindless TV show” creep in. But, like any new habit that is beneficial, it is so worth the extra work in the beginning.
Thankfully meditation is mainstream now. We even encourage our children to practice it. Mindfulness is a common new phrase. There are so many ways to mediate and plenty of free resources to help you get started. Just google it. There are books, apps and YouTube videos that can teach a practice for each person’s individual style.
So give it a try. What are you waiting for? There’s nothing to lose. If for no other reason it gives you an excuse to sit on your couch, and this time you don’t have to feel guilty because it’s for something other then just Netflix viewing.
