A quiet, gently lit room with big velvet cushions sprawled throughout, the Sounds of the Ocean CD playing softly in the background and essential oils burning. Complete uninterrupted bliss.
Bahahaha!!
I’m laughing because THAT idea of meditation is so far outside of the realms of possibility for this busy Mum that its laughable. I am Mum to 5 kids, Wife, I do volunteer work, part-time (paid) work and I am studying … where exactly am I meant to fit this magical meditation in? And I know I’m not alone in this. But the current social pressure to find the perfect balance in all things can feel overwhelming in itself some days.
So what if I told you that I DO find time to mediate, quite often actually.
You see, meditation doesn’t have to be scheduled into your day when you know how to make it a part of your day. And the key lies in that other elusive word: Mindfulness.
Mindfulness simply means taking stock of yourself in any given moment. As you read this, what do your feet feel like in your shoes, do you feel your shirt gently touching the skin of your shoulders? Your hands holding the phone or iPad.
Seriously, that’s mindfulness.
And meditation begins with mindfulness.
We are so busy all the time that we spend most of our life living in the space above our own heads, the space where we are juggling all our stuff, always thinking about the next thing that needs to be done. Mummies are especially prone to this. And it’s not necessarily a bad thing either, that’s multi-tasking and its essential to a well-managed life. But that space above your head has no connection to your Soul, your Spirit, your Self. Its all just stuff. And stuff is not Life.
You deserve to Live Darling, I mean really Live. And you don’t have to take a big fancy holiday or a meditation class to do it. Let me give you some examples;
When I’m in the car, inevitably running late, and I find myself agonising over the flow-on effect that my lateness will have to the rest of my day. Or mentally planning out dinner and worrying if it will appeal to all little tastebuds. In that moment I catch myself. Breathe Jen. Feel the air filling up your lungs, hear it rushing back out again. Feel your toes inside your shoes, feel your hands touching the steering wheel, feel the bra straps on your shoulders.
That’s mindfulness.
That’s meditation.
Another example is when I’m sitting at one of the children’s activities, again, worrying about the next meal that must be delivered, the bill I know is waiting to be paid, the assignment due in next week and when was the last time I spoke to my Mum?
Breathe.
How do my feet feel? I wriggle my toes, I feel my jeans tight across my knees as I sit here. I run my hands down my thighs just to feel the grain of the denim. I sense the pendant sitting on my chest, under my shirt where my heart is beating. I feel the wind playing with my hair.
That’s mindfulness.
In that moment I am completely connected to my Self, and in that moment I am meditating.
Start at your feet. Ground your Self. Work your way up as fast or as slow as you like. Remember what it feels like to be you, in your skin, in your beautiful body. Extend it outwards and look at the sky, are the clouds moving? See the way the sun lights up the leaves in that tree over there?
So its not the hour of quiet bliss that we all imagine meditation to be, but that’s not reasonable for me or for many of us right now. Those quick moments of Meditation will change your day, possibly your life. The more you do it the easier it becomes until eventually you do it without realising whenever your anxiety increases. Imagine that.
Your life is full, and busy, you have a lot going on. You deserve to feel every bit of it, because THAT is what makes it all worthwhile. Because you are amazing, and wonderful, and because you are bloody worth it.
Lets live the shit outta this Life! J
Jen
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