Four Tips for Meditating on the Go
BLYTHE LANDRY OCTOBER 12, 2017
Meditation is a major buzz word these days; or maybe it just seems like it because I’m super late to the game. Regardless of which is true, the reality is that there is no time like the literal present to find a way to create increased serenity, calm and mindfulness. And, of course, this doesn’t mean vegging out in front of the news or a video game; but, rather truly getting closer to the you that makes you you.
Meaning matters.
Your relationship with yourself matters. And your relationship with the inner-vestiges of your being matters. How do you know who you are if you don’t ever take the time to connect and listen? How do you know how you have changed or grown, what you need and what you truly want? How do you know if you are living your purpose or validating your truth in your daily choices unless you take stock regularly of how things are going? Just like we listen to those we love the most, we need and deserve the same sense of listening to and from ourselves. Only we are usually the last ones to know! We end up sobbing on the bathroom floor not being able to figure out what is bothering us before we realize that it has been a good many months since we even paused to breathe. We can’t do this. It isn’t enough. It doesn’t make for a happy or even satisfactory life, and it isn’t okay.
You need you. Other people need you. And you can’t be there for anyone unless you find you first.
I’m not a guru. I have no idea how to meditate the “right way,” but what I do know is that any amount of quiet time with self is better than no time. Even if it isn’t the perfect way or the spiritually adept way to meditate, who cares? Do it anyway. Don’t do it perfectly. Don’t set goals you cannot carry out or maintain. Just try. Just make a little effort. That is all you really need to get started.
Here are some quick and easy tips to help you get your mind moving in the right direction back and through and towards YOU!
Just Download the Damn App
For as many weeks exist in the year there are probably meditation apps to download. Sure they may seem trite and common and easy to do, but they exist. They work. They give you an option. Most of them are even free. You may be thinking, “Oh, really, Blythe? You think you know something new by telling me about the million apps that already exist to help me meditate?” Okay. Fine. Have you downloaded one yet? If you have, have you opened it or signed up for the free service. If you have even gotten that far, have you tried one of the short meditations? Have you tried two? Have you made a commitment? If not, then no complaining about this suggestion. If so, then good for you, you are rolling along already and don’t need this suggestion. Either way, this is a good way to start. It isn’t true that you don’t have the time to listen to someone gong a bell for 2 minutes every couple of days. That isn’t the truth. If you don’t do it, that is okay; but don’t tell yourself you don’t have time. You do. My personal favorite is Insight Timer. You may like it too. If not, that is also okay. Pick one you do like. Ask around. Your friends have heard of these. So have you.
When You Park Your Car, Sit in It for Five Minutes with No Sound Before You Get Out
No big deal. Five minutes. You don’t have to levitate or discern the meaning of life. You don’t even have to like it. You can just sit. Breathe. Pause. No answers may come. Maybe they will. Don’t eat and stare at your phone. Just sit. Listen. Overthink. It doesn’t matter. Pause. Are you rushing everywhere in your life so quickly you can’t even afford five minutes every now and again between parking and your destination? That is a major SOS. Slow down. Don’t be so rushed. Life can be easier. Get a grip. Try it once. Maybe don’t try it again for 6 months. Just give it a go. Or don’t. But don’t blame it on your life or others. You have options.
Sit Quietly with Your Pet(s) for Ten Minutes.
We all love our pets (at least those of us who do). How much time do we really spend with them, though? Just sitting, being, connecting, existing? The dog park is great. So are walks and cuddle fests while you talk on the phone or watch movies. But they are living, breathing existing beings. They need to connect and so do you. When was the last time you just sat, connected to your pet(s) and did nothing for ten minutes except feel the connection between you? Probably not any time in the recent past. If you have, good for you. If you haven’t, it is time. Life is moving forward. It is passing. They don’t live forever. You love them. Connecting to the quiet and goodness that inhabit an animal allows you to more deeply ricochet that unconditional love and regard for you, from them, back onto yourself. It may not seem traditional enough for you. That is okay. Do it anyway. Call it your Mutt Meditation time. Don’t. Whatever works.
Shower Slowly
Water feels good. Being clean matters. So does the symbolism of washing away a hard day or washing away your fears. Don’t rush. Feel the water cover you. Let yourself breathe. Take an extra minute to feel what it feels like to stand still. If you can’t stand and you have a disability chair in your shower, then sit. It doesn’t matter how you do it. If you like baths, then bathe. But sit for a minute. Think about where the feelings in your body are the most knotty. Imagine them being cleansed and rinsed and soaked in life giving fuel. Allow it. It is okay. Let yourself feel grateful for your ability to have clean water in which you can wash your body. Let yourself be. See how it goes. Give it a chance.
As you can see from the way the world is moving these days, life is short. We don’t have time, but we do. Make it. Share with yourself the self that makes you all of who you are. Five minutes is okay. You are worth it all. Truly. It won’t mess up your schedule or your life. It will only enhance it. Pinky promise;)
If you are looking for ways to have a better relationship with yourself and would like to learn more, you can contact me for a free, 30-minute consultation and refer to this blog post.
