A meditation moment from Becky Carlino.
Throughout our day, we may feel out of sorts. Perhaps your distress is from unmet expectations, work, or family. I believe the best thing you can do is pause and breathe. Clear the clutter from your head. Pause and breathe. Then you can approach the situation with a clear mind.
Easier said than done, right?
How do I pause and breathe? I thought I’d talk about meditation with you. Meditation is a practice focusing on clearing your mind. You can use a combination of mental and physical techniques. Then you can focus, relax, soothe your stress, or begin your day open-mindedly. I’ve even used meditation to improve my sleep and physical health.
This is also an excellent way to be more compassionate with yourself. I use it as way to focus on the light around me and my inner light. You can do guided meditation (check out YouTube for some guided mediations) or you can try on your own.
Set aside 5-10 minutes. Find a space free from distraction. I find a space with natural light. I try to sit facing the sun. I sit upright, either in a chair or cross legged on the ground with support to keep my back aligned. I put on wordless music. Yes, you can look up wordless meditation music too!
I close my eyes. I take a few deep breaths. Then I return to my normal breathing. Some days I picture a bright blue sky. If stress or worry pop into my mind, I imagine it as a billowing white cloud, slowly floating away. Other days I picture a lake with small waves in and out on the beach. I choose a meditation phrase to focus on. And I say it a few times.
For inspiration, here is my favorite.
As I wish for others and those I love:
May you be safe.
May you be happy.
May you be healthy.
May you be loving.
May you live with ease.
As I wish for myself:
May I be safe.
May I be happy.
May I be healthy.
May I be loving.
May I live with ease.
I do this for as long as I need, which ends up being about 10 minutes. And I do this nearly every day. When I open my eyes, I feel peaceful. Ready to take on the day.
If this phrase or style doesn’t work for you, that’s OK! You can pause to pray, read the Bible, or listen to your favorite music … on repeat. Whatever you do, take this time for yourself. To be kind to yourself. To have gratitude. Ultimately, this is about you and the compassion you must have with, and for, yourself every day.
May you be safe.
May you be happy.
May you live in the light.
P.S. If you want to know the full benefits of meditation, you can visit this Cleveland Clinic Site
Written by: Becky Carlino
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