There's lots of books about meditation - the how to's, health benefits, what to do with the monkey mind, and more. This post is more about how you specifically "do" meditation. There's a concept and workbook that I wholeheartedly support called How you do anything is how you do everything. It's all about the way in which we approach what we're doing. When's the last time you paid attention to how you're being? How are you different when something's happening that you like compared to something you don't?
When we have the courage to look at how we are showing up in relation to life, we start to see our own strength. You begin to understand that you are more than your behavior, habits can be changed, and nothing is "the way it is." Things are the way you are and the lens you are looking at life through.
What does this have to do with meditation?
It is one of the easiest ways to watch how you "do" life because the only backdrop you are resisting against is yourself. There's no one else to blame, no external circumstance to distract. You are just sitting there, either with a soft focused gaze, or with your eyes gently shut, breathing. How is it to be with your thoughts? How easily are you distracted? How is your body responding? What are the stories you're telling yourself as you sit there? Do you react, dialogue with, or just notice those stories?
No matter how you "do" meditation, the remedy for shifting where you are to where you want to be and finding peace in the moment - in meditation and in life - is to breathe. Follow your breath. When we get scared, resistant, angry, sad, we automatically restrict our breathing. It's a survival strategy and defense mechanism. It's a "get small to be safe" mentality. That worked back in the day when we had to run from animals. Now, it's time for a new way of doing and being in life. Meditation and breathing can bring about the exact transformation you've been longing for.
When you can relax into what's happening, be it your mental process in meditation or a challenging situation in life, you have much more access to your intuition and the ability to take effective action.
Here's what to remember:
1) How am I doing life? Use meditation as your playground to discover the answers.
2) Breathe into the distraction, resistance, and tight spots. Let your breath relax you. Use this in meditation and life.
3) Choose to notice, reflect, acknowledge, and breathe through how you're "doing" it all. Then: Speak your truth. Get clear. Effectively act. Transform.
That's your recipe for the day. Have at it!
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