'I haven't got time to meditate'
'I can’t simply switch my brain off'
'I could be doing 10 other things in the time it would take me to meditate'
These are a few of the reasons why I never really bothered to persevere with any form of mindfulness meditation. I'm a multi-tasker and I like to be productive with my time. If I had any ‘down time’ I would always prefer to read or even sleep rather than try to meditate! However, after listening to a few podcasts from like-minded grounded people talking through how they made meditation work for them, and hearing about the difference it made to their mental health, I thought I'd give it a go…
Photo by Joanna Kosinska via Unsplash
Buckhurst Hill is very similar to this setting above
Don’t be over-ambitious
The main tip I picked up was that you don’t have to empty your mind of ALL OF THE THOUGHTS, have total silence, meditate for an hour or more a day. These are all unrealistic for many of us, and are reasons to make us think it's unachievable.
Actually, you can just start with a few minutes. You don't have to think about 'absolutely nothing' - it can just be 10 minutes of time to yourself; of time listening to your favourite music and switching your phone off, thinking of your day ahead, or thinking about the day you've just had, thinking about a favourite person or aspect of your life. Just 10 minutes when no-one needs you.
Even if at the beginning, all you think about is your to do list then that’s ok to start with. At least that’s 10 minutes of uninterrupted time to yourself.
Also, meditation doesn’t have to take place in settings like this to the right. I always thought I had to be somewhere like Bali, or perhaps sit alongside some monks, be on a silent retreat etc etc. Actually, my bedroom in Buckhurst Hill is just fine! Phew.
When can I realistically find time for myself?
I realised the only time this would ever happen for me during the day is when I'm in bed about to go to sleep. Otherwise I won't be able to switch off from doing jobs or thinking my son may need me and pre-empting that I may be interrupted. So I've been trying little 10 minute exercises before bed, where I just lie and focus on my breathing, and try to relax parts of my body before sleep. For example, it wasn’t until I thought about relaxing my jaw that I realised how clenched it was. More often than not I fall asleep halfway through, but that's ok too! I always feel like I have a more restful sleep after I have done some meditation first.
Where Do I Start?
I used to really love the meditation parts of my yoga classes when I was pregnant with Theo. I’d often float off to a dreamy place and I always felt so relaxed and full of zen by the end of the class. More recently, I've been doing my meditation sessions at home as I mentioned on my Calm App - I know I've mentioned it a bazillion times but I just love it! It's such a great little app - and costs about £7.99 a month. They do free trials too before you commit. I sound like I work for them! Sadly I don't - but I just think they're good for normal people like us who might need a nudge in the right direction. They have lots of calming tunes, audio stories and meditation exercises, ranging from 5 minutes to an hour or so, depending on how much time you have. They also have mindfulness exercises for people living with anxiety, going through difficult emotions, who have a fear of flying etc. I'd really recommend them - and perhaps there are many more apps like this too.
Let’s Keep Our Feet on the Ground
Anyway, I really hope this doesn't come across as preachy. As I hope you know, one of my aims with Massage and Me was to provide a down-to-earth and accessible approach to holistic massage and reflexology therapy. You really don't have to all meditate! And I am such a rookie at all of it, but I just wanted to spread the word about how easy it can be, and that it's far more achievable than I had previously thought. It just takes for you to put your own spin on it and for it to work in the way that is best for you and your schedule. The reason I’m mentioning it is that it's really helping me to feel some zen, and I shall take every little pinch I possibly can!
As a Massage Therapist and Reflexologist, it’s important for me to think of our bodies holistically, and I’m particularly interested at the moment at how much impact every day stress has on our lives. Constant to-do lists, unachievable demands and pulls on our time, constantly feeling that we are under-achieving, chasing our tails and squeezing two days into one. The idea of meditation just cuts across all of that and recognises that taking a small chunk of time out of our day will therefore better equip, and prepare, us to cope with those endless demands. The massage table is actually a perfect place to try some of these techniques and exercises, as it is time totally dedicated to you and your body…more often than not in silence.
So voila…just a thought. I hope it proves helpful, whether in two days’ time, or two years’ time. Enjoy!
Take care,
M&M x