Learning to Meditate

Boo- my snuggle buddy

Cats have got it right.  Lounge all day, eat, soak in the sun, and find a warm lap to snuggle with.  I say this as I shove my cat off my lap and laptop so I can type.

Sitting still, though, is a good practice to adopt.

But I sit all day in an office you say?  That's not the same.

Try sitting in one spot and be totally still, still of body and still of mind.  It's REALLY hard!

I've played with trying to meditate on and off for a couple years, but the last 2 months I've really tried.  By tried, I mean I've remembered to try a couple times a week rather than a couple times a month.


So HOW do you do it? You ask?
Well, I can only tell you how I've started.


My mind goes crazy fast.  I can be having a conversation with one person and 5 -10 other random thoughts are just jumping out all over the place. In fact, while I sit here writing this, I have 3 more other ideas to write about that just popped in.  So keep an eye out for those :)

Whenever I tried to meditate, I couldn't stop my mind.  I tried thinking of a blank piece of paper, that didn't work.  More ideas just came through.

Follow me to Sesame Street
During meditation its ok if your mind wanders, acknowledge it and then let it go and calm the mind again.
But sometimes that's difficult as well.  So what I started to do was count.  I would count backwards from 99, visualizing the numbers in my head like you would see them on Sesame Street.  (And yes, I did just link to Sesame Street :)  )  Big, Bulky, Cartoony Numbers

That really helps, and its easier to visualize a number to get back on track when your mind starts to wander.
I set little goals for myself, like trying to see if I could get to 50 before having a stray thought.
When I first started I could only get to every 5 numbers before being interrupted.  But as I practiced more and more it got longer and longer between interruptions.  Practice makes Perfect :)

I'm almost able to get to 50 now without any interruptions.

Well, without interruptions from my mind, I still get interrupted by my cat wanting to sit on my lap.

Monte - My Big Distraction - I should rename him. 

As my practicing with counting continues, I find myself stopping counting and just sitting.  Quietly.
Calm mind.  Yes, really, me with a calm mind.
It seems that once your brain is told that you really want to calm it down, it gets the hint and calms down.
But if a thought intrudes, I start to count again until all is quiet.


 So if you're wanting to give meditation a whirl, but can't seem to quiet your mind, try counting.

Why Meditate?

Why torture yourself by sitting still?  With today's rush rush world, its like hitting the reset button. 

I've found I'm much more positive and overall happy and calm from meditation.  And that's saying alot.

Being a single mom can be very stressful.  There are lunches to pack, endless laundry to be washed, worrying about your kid's safety.  So anything I can do to bring down that stress is a win -win.

Remember: If it can be done in 5 minutes, DO IT!  You can afford 5 minutes at some point and just sit. 

Even if you're at work, try it on your lunch break.  Close your office door and sit, or go outside if its nice and just sit.  (And Count if you still haven't gotten the hang of emptying your mind)

I was recently let go from work.  And while that is a normally VERY stressful time, I feel somewhat calm.  I've been meditating and focusing on breathing.  I feel that everything is going to be OK.

Positive thinking really goes a long way. 

 BREATHE!

Anytime you feel stress, take a moment and take a few slow, deep, breaths.  

It makes you pause, slow down, and feeds oxygen to your brain.  Win-Win!

Here's a nice book on how to get started with meditation.
I really enjoy reading Thich Nhat Hanh's books on mindful meditation, it really makes meditation seem easy.