There's a lot of information circulating about meditating these days. Many people swear by it. I must admit, I was a skeptic as you all know I believe in getting to the gym.
Well, as many of you know it's also been a challenging time regaining my footing since my Mom's recent passing. The one thing that has been a tremendous help has been--yup--meditating. Taking no more than ten minutes in the morning to calm my mind down, to center my thoughts, to breathe deeply and focus on nothing but that has been more powerful than I could have ever imagined. No wonder it has been embraced for centuries by people all over the world.
There are as many ways to meditate as there are to read, to pray, to think. What I've found matters most is to breathe. Concentrating on breathing is concentrating on what gives you life, your breath. Inhale and exhale. You can't live without doing that. And boy, does your breath react when your mind and your body is out of alignment!
It quickens, races, and sends signals to your heart and all of your organs to be on alert! It feels like the body's conductor--pacing the music of your heart pumping, your blood flowing through your veins, your eyes darting--all of it.
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I find it just amazing when I slow down and focus on slowly breathing, letting thoughts pass through like clouds across the sky, instead of the thoughts taking root in my mind and causing me to churn on them, most of them being fabrications of the future or ruminations of the past, breathing helps me stay melded to the present moment, and clarity becomes my guide. Perception becomes fine-tuned into the reality that is in the moment at hand.
I find it is much better from this space to make decisions, to plan, to celebrate or to just BE. I can actually feel my heart slow down. And trust. I had to wear a heart monitor earlier this year due to palpitations. Did I share that? It was a game changer. With too many dear friends leaving the planet due to STRESS related complications, I'm willing to look at what has worked holistically to keep humans more healthy, and meditation certainly has.
My sister, Gloria, recommended an app called CALM to me and it has been a true Godsend. You can try it for free, and to me it is worth the investment.
Meditation is great for calming the mind, for sleeping more soundly, for restoring a bit of peace in your circumstances throughout your day. You see, once I learned how to meditate, I found that the breathing techniques work in traffic, when faced with long lines at a store, or in other situations or conversations that could use some calm.
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As noted in a previous post--stress doesn't sizzle it fries.
Meditation and Exercise soothe.
Try it and let me know how you feel!
Hugs,
Amy
Amy S. Hilliard is an award-winning entrepreneur, corporate marketing executive, health and wellness advocate, lifestyle blogger and author. A Harvard MBA, Howard graduate and community contributor, she is the single mother of two young professionals proudly making their way in the world. Connect with Amy on Instagram at @amyshilliard and @sizzlingafter60
