Meditation Helps Us Be a Better Human!

Do you meditate?

Many women we talk with about this say no because they can’t stay with it. They want to meditate, they may even start a practice, but then it goes awry.

We find this interesting. Like most things that are valuable to incorporate into our life, it may take some effort and trail and error until we find our way.

This is how it was for Sue with meditation.

Sue wanted to have a consistent practice for years. Basically ever since she became a yoga teacher in 2001. But she just couldn’t find the practice she wanted to stay with and couldn’t be consistent. It seemed the minute something happened in her daily routine that would throw her off, she’d let it go.

Sue knew that if she stayed with meditation long enough it would become a habit (just like anything else we do) and she would begin to reap the benefits – like more focus and concentration, less reactivity (respond rather than react), better listening skills, less tension and anxiety, and so much more.

After much trial and error, Sue found her way, became more consistent and now reaps the benefits of being a better human!

She has more patience / She is a better listener / She is not as reactive / Her digestion is better / Her stress levels are down / and the best part is she can see and catch her own crazy tendencies and redirect herself quickly.

You know what she means. The parts of us that are judgy or angry or afraid. Living in this chaotic world can be challenging, and it kicks off our protective tendencies that we all have.

But here’s the thing - that doesn’t make us a better human. It only makes us reactive and blaming the world for our feelings.

So if you would like to be less reactive and more responsive in the world, try meditating for even 3-5 minutes each day. You will be surprised at how easy it is once you say YES.

What meditation to do?

Before we answer that, lets start with a couple simple pointers.

First sit in a comfortable position, like your favorite chair. No you don’t have to sit like a yogi, just sit so your back is supported and you feel grounded.

Next, be in a quiet space. This especially helps when you are first starting. Somewhere you won’t be disturbed is ideal.

Then, set your timer, close your eyes and breath. That’s it.

Jon Kabat-Zinn says don’t try to stop your mind from it’s thoughts - you can’t achieve this. And if you try, all you’ll get is a big headache! All we can do is watch the thoughts come and go. At first it’s like a crazy monkey mind, but over time, you’ll notice the thoughts are less and not as jumpy.

This is where we create the calm stable mind that everyone wants!

Sue personally likes an anchor to come back to when she get distracted with her thoughts. The easiest way is to watch the breath come and go through the nostrils or feel it in the body. If you like a mantra say it quietly in my mind. Anyway you can find to keep coming back to the present moment works.

If you’re saying to yourself - I can’t meditate, I never could. We want to challenge you that you’re giving up too soon. Nobody is good at anything when they first try. Learning to play an instrument, learning a new language, learning how to use chopsticks! You get the point.

Give yourself the gift of daily meditation. Try different approaches until you find what works for you - then do more of that. You will become a better human - we promise!