My 30 Day Meditation Experience

Shortly after I left my abusive marriage, I was diagnosed with depression and anxiety. (not that those things didn't exist during my marriage; I just wasn't diagnosed until after the break up) I started going to therapy, where my therapist recommended I try meditation. At the time, I think I smiled and said sure, I'd give it a go. But my internal reaction was “Ummmm...NO". Instead I found other ways to cope, like becoming addicted to food, but that's another story for another time...

My place of employment has joined the Vitality movement. For those of you who are unfamiliar with this, Vitality is a health & wellness program. You can have the Vitality app on your smart watch as well and earn status points and "Vitality Bucks" for some fun rewards. I love the community on social media, where we all support one another in our health and fitness journeys. (I will include a link at the end of this article ) A few women in the community really love the Meditation part of things so, after years of stubborn refusal, I finally decided to commit to meditating every day for thirty days. There were a couple of lapses, so truthfully, the title of this article should be “I meditated for 28 out of 31 days,” but let's not get technical here. The point is I did it. 

How to do it

Meditation is not necessarily a religious practice. It doesn’t have to involve crystals or the burning of incense However it IS a scientific method of relieving stress and anxiety, and strengthening your ability to focus. I basically wanted to incorporate meditation and mindfulness into my daily routine as an experiment. I think of my mind as a never ending circus. If I could slow it down or shut it off for 5-10 minutes a day, hey...I'm all for that.

So, I started off with downloading the Head Space app.  Each morning, I did an 5-minute session of breathing meditation. One of the most popular forms of meditation, this means simply using one’s breath as a focal point for the mind; concentrating on maintaining a rhythm of inhaling for four counts, holding for one, and exhaling for another four counts. What matters most, however, isn’t the breathing itself, but the attention you pay to your breathing. The point of meditation is trying to keep your mind on one thing – in this case, your breathing. And whenever you find your focus wandering – what you need at the store, what's for dinner,  your job, that argument you had with your spouse– you pull your focus back to your breathing.

The aim isn’t to have zero random thoughts; they’re natural and inevitable. The point is to be aware of them, acknowledge them, and return to the present. Every time you do this, you’re strengthening your ability to maintain focus. Each time you catch your mind wandering, you refocus and bring it back to the present. 

So now that we know a little about how to do it, here's what I learned.

#1 You need to stick it out

In this age of hyper stimulation and on-demand everything, sitting still and not consuming media is not even normal. And if you’re anything like me, this might make your first time meditating a restless experience to say the least.

That said, once I’d done a couple of sessions, the restlessness dropped considerably, and I started to relax. Even on days when I had trouble with my focus, I still found the breathing exercises incredibly calming.

#2 You don’t need to be spiritual

Mindfulness and meditation aren’t necessarily religious practices, even if they began that way. By no means was I trying this whole meditation thing to be spiritual. But I've found it's just a great way to become more aware in your habits of thinking and feeling. Not to mention, it has improved my mood and emotional well-being. 

#3 It’s amazing for stress

Like a lot of busy people, I have trouble switching my mind off. I often feel that if I’m not accomplishing something – writing, exercising, cleaning – I’m wasting time. Ironically, this inability to relax inevitably makes me less productive, which I then deal with by procrastinating. (FYI - procrastinating is NOT the same thing as relaxing)

This is where I’ve actually found meditation beneficial for me. Whenever I start feeling overwhelmed and fall into the procrastination cycle, those few minutes of meditation act as a circuit-breaker. It stops me from spiraling and makes it easier to get to a place in my head where I can be more objective and constructive, and even rest if I need to. 

#4 It can be applied to basically anything

Keeping your mind on-task is a universally useful skill. Whether you’re concentrating on your breathing, working out, cooking a meal or cleaning your house, all of these things can be done mindfully, and benefit from that mindfulness.

(I’ve found this especially true for shaving – since I started applying mindfulness, my legs no longer look like I'm purposefully trying to slash them open)

#5 I still suck at it

Though I’ve come a long way from my first fidgety attempt, I’m still no good at meditation. I’ve noticed that whenever I successfully banish all exterior thoughts, they creep in anyway and I have to start the app over. So, what should have been a 5 minute meditation session becomes 30 minutes. But that's ok...I actually think you’re supposed to suck at it. Like exercise, it’s only worthwhile when it’s challenging. And I love a good challenge.

But the most important thing about meditation doing it with regularity. You can’t expect to have the full benefits of it if you’re not doing it regularly.

#6 I’m sticking with it

I can’t say that meditation has completely changed my life. But incorporated with my workout, it's definitely brought about benefits. For just a few minutes each day, it helps me build patience and focus, while reducing stress and calming down anxiety.

Join Vitality on Facebook at:

 https://www.facebook.com/groups/vitalityvtc/ 

Meditation Apps:

 - Calm

 - Head Space

 - Breathe 

xoxo Stasia ~