I was a fraud.
I was a yoga teacher who didn't meditate.
As a student, I could do it. The teacher guided quiet moments at the beginning and end of yoga. I enjoyed the feeling of meditating with other people. They sat silently, and I followed along.
Most of all, I enjoyed how calm and relaxed I felt afterward.
Once I graduated from yoga school, I had to figure this meditation thing out.
My first students were so special to me. I worked for a non-profit that served clients with substance use disorder. Most also had mental health issues, including anxiety and depression.
Often they came to class nervous and upset.
How could I help them feel better? What tools could I give them so they could stay sober?
💡 💡 💡 There was one tool that could help them feel calm and relaxed.
Slowly, I figured out how to teach meditation. After class, their faces told me everything I needed to know. The students went out of their way to say how much better they felt.
How could I receive this gift myself? I was too busy teaching to attend a class.
It was time to jump in with two feet.
I started small. A few minutes, then a bit longer. Sometimes I’d listen to a guided meditation, other times I’d go solo.
My meditation journey looks like a series of starts and stops. It’s never been a straight line.
It’s only in the past two years that have I become a consistent meditator (thank you, COVID).
How has this practice changed me? Here are a few changes I’ve noticed.
1. My creativity is blooming.
2. I need that meditation time to absorb myself. It's a weird thing to say, but I don't know a better way to express it.
3. I'm more focused and can concentrate better.
4. I'm less reactive (or at least I notice when I am reacting…)
5. I’m more aware of the state of my mental health.
6. I can hear my intuition speaking.
The integration of the meditative limb of yoga (there are 8 limbs of yoga in total) has felt like an unlocking of chains.
I feel lighter, calmer, and more aware.
There are other benefits of meditation, too many to list here. I talk more about this in my meditation mini-course coming out later in the year.
Free Meditation
Tonight I am hosting on Zoom a free meditation class from 7:30-8 p.m. We will do breathing practices and meditation. If you’re a beginner meditator or a wannabe, this may be worth your time. All you need is a chair and quiet space.
We’ll be doing some unlocking.🔐
Sign up here to register for the free meditation class.
The Sitting and Rising Test
Did you know that mobility is linked to longevity? Brazilian researchers found there was a correlation between how long someone is expected to live and how well they performed in a test called the “sitting to rising” test. Click on this link to watch the video and take the test. Let me know your score by hitting reply or send me an email at hello@theblissbeneath.com.
If you’re interested in reading the study, click here.
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