The gift that keeps on giving
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When I was living in San Francisco, there was a yoga studio right across the street from the restaurant I went to all the time. I found out they were doing weekly donation-based meditation classes (for an hour and half! 😳)
Something inside me decided to go. Every Wednesday I would sit (or lie down) on the floor and meditate for 1.5 hours. It was all so new to me, and I was always so surprised at how fast the time passed.
I remember how my life started to feel different. It was microscopic at first. But it started with awareness and noticing every time my mind left the present. I would just breathe it back.
The thing about microscopic change is that over time it builds up to be really big change. When I look back at the person I was then vs. now, I see a huge distance between us. Not that there’s anything wrong with who I used to be, but I have no doubt that meditation was the gateway to my deeper change and growth.
I’ve been meditating consistently ever since. Much more so in recent years. I don’t talk about it a lot because it’s ingrained in my life. I’m not perfect at it by any means but I do feel proud of my consistency.
I started noticing my silence around it when friends would come to me about some issue they were having in their life, wanting things to change. Later I would think “why didn’t I ask if they’re meditating? ”. It truly is the best place to start.
I wanted to share this app I use sometimes called Insight Timer. This is not an ad. I am not sponsored. I wanted to offer a gift to you that has been so helpful for me in my life. The gift of meditation. 🧘♂️ This app is 100% FREE ( though they do have options/courses you can pay for).
A few things to keep in mind (no pun intended:)
The point of meditation is not to clear your mind. It is just to be a gentle witness to it. To bring your focus to your breathing (or a mantra or whatever works) and let your thoughts pass like clouds in the sky.
There are hundreds of meditation apps and thousands of teachers and it doesn’t matter which one you use or if you use one at all.
The teacher makes the biggest difference. I always suggest continuing on until you find a teacher or guide that resonates with you.
You do not need to meditate for1.5 hours! Or anywhere near that. Some people use the time it takes to steep their tea in the morning, to meditate. As little as 3-5 minutes will produce microscopic shifts:)
If the word meditation bothers you or makes you think of something you really don’t want to do, call it something else. Maybe “a moment to myself” or “conscious breathing time”.
Recently, I had a friend at work start meditating at my suggestion. He felt the effects pretty immediately and called it “a shower for your mind”. Thinking of it that way helped and I couldn’t agree more.
If this holiday season, or any season, you are wanting some shifts in your life, I ask, are you meditating? If not, are you willing to start? And if you do already have a meditation practice, is there something you can do to double down on it?
I like to increase my time when I feel like I need a little extra something.
Let me know your thoughts or experience with meditation below!
And happy happy holidays to you and your family!!!
All my love,
Dana
p.s. Fun Fact : I actually started meditating before I started doing yoga. It was 2008. At one point I asked my teacher “hey, is there anything where you breathe and move at the same time?” and he was like “yeah. It's called yoga”.😂
p.p.s. If you’re interested and want to know more, I’m happy to share a resource list of books that I love on this topic. Leave a comment below.