I recently finished a book called, Why Meditate: Working with Thoughts and Emotions.
I started meditation as a teenager, but eventually fell off track. Like most people, I could come up with a 1,000 reasons why I didn't want or need to meditate.
However, I started doing guided meditation in the summer of 2014, and then switched over to doing my own daily mindfulness meditation. I've noticed good effects from these short, daily meditations.
Sometimes it's just an increased awareness of my body's needs. I'm thirsty. I need a sweater. It's funny how we don't realize these things.
When we sit in meditation, there is nowhere to hide from our thoughts and feelings. This can be challenging because we all have to face "pockets of pain" in ourselves...Everything comes up. It's not always pleasant. However, there are many benefits, and you become more aware of what is really important to you.
I think we go through most of our life in a trance-like state. We shift from one "to-do" on our list to a triggering thought, then a phone call, than an emotion, then this, and then that.
But what do we really want in life? What really matters?
And are we living in the way we really want to?
Some benefits of mindfulness meditation:
Meditation becomes a true gift to yourself; It's where you go to just be present and listen. You become a bit less attached to difficult thoughts and emotions because you realize they are just like the weather; some days are cloudy, and some days are sunny. But you are not the weather. You are the consciousness that observes the weather.
You begin to spend more of you life in alignment with your values, rather than running from uncomfortable thoughts and feelings. You get honest with yourself. You learn. You heal. You start to see possibilities instead of being a prisoner to your thoughts.
Life unfolds in new ways with the blessing of awareness.
I started meditation as a teenager, but eventually fell off track. Like most people, I could come up with a 1,000 reasons why I didn't want or need to meditate.
However, I started doing guided meditation in the summer of 2014, and then switched over to doing my own daily mindfulness meditation. I've noticed good effects from these short, daily meditations.
Sometimes it's just an increased awareness of my body's needs. I'm thirsty. I need a sweater. It's funny how we don't realize these things.
When we sit in meditation, there is nowhere to hide from our thoughts and feelings. This can be challenging because we all have to face "pockets of pain" in ourselves...Everything comes up. It's not always pleasant. However, there are many benefits, and you become more aware of what is really important to you.
I think we go through most of our life in a trance-like state. We shift from one "to-do" on our list to a triggering thought, then a phone call, than an emotion, then this, and then that.
But what do we really want in life? What really matters?
And are we living in the way we really want to?
Some benefits of mindfulness meditation:
- Reduced rumination
- Reduction of stress
- Boosts to working memory
- Improved focus
- Less emotional reactivity
- Increased immune function
- Improved relationship satisfaction
- Reduction in psychological distress
Meditation becomes a true gift to yourself; It's where you go to just be present and listen. You become a bit less attached to difficult thoughts and emotions because you realize they are just like the weather; some days are cloudy, and some days are sunny. But you are not the weather. You are the consciousness that observes the weather.
You begin to spend more of you life in alignment with your values, rather than running from uncomfortable thoughts and feelings. You get honest with yourself. You learn. You heal. You start to see possibilities instead of being a prisoner to your thoughts.
Life unfolds in new ways with the blessing of awareness.
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