Meditation Changed My Life

The Meditation Journey

Since I began meditating years ago, I am consistently calm, content, always compassionate and totally Zen and in flow all the time…Well, no, absolutely not! I still have ups and downs, mood swings, frustration, emotional reactions and times of basic crabbiness. It did however completely change my life for the better in small and meaningful ways I could never have predicted!

It hasn’t been an easy journey and it’s not like you start meditating and your life shifts immediately, but if you can honor yourself by sticking to it and making it a part of your life, it opens a door to a new perspective. Situations, relationships, events and day to day life are reframed through a lens that has depth you didn’t know was there. Not only does it provide depth, but it also allows you to see things from multiple sides. And yes, gradually you do live from less of a reactive place, and more of an observer’s mind. Continue with that and you begin to see how and where you can fully engage – where you are meant to be, how you are meant to be and who you really are. We have to have the richness of the ups and downs, the broad spectrum of emotions – it is the beauty of our human journey, and meditation helps provide the insights and the textures which bring joy, love and understanding.

When I first started meditating it wasn’t easy at all – in fact it was frustrating and irritating. It felt like one of those “should” chores. But I was at a point in my life of feeling broken, overwhelmed, depressed and tired. I was living like a deer in the headlights, frozen to the core, yet at the same time dashing around just doing life, and working from a point of reaction. My health was terrible, I wasn’t happy, I was a busy mother with no time for myself and my husband and I had been struggling for a while. So, with determination and a yearning for more I signed up for a full day meditation class, excited to learn this technique that would magically ‘fix’ my life. Every practice meditation we were given I instantly fell asleep; in fact, I slept the whole day! Having brought my instructor’s attention to my sleeping problem he kindly gave me some tips to stay awake, but still after each practice he would look at me with queering eyes and I’d shake my head. Every time I meditated for at least a year I fell asleep, completely unaware of any benefit I may be gaining. I have come to understand that that is exactly what my body, mind and spirit needed at the time. It was the beginning of my healing. Over time I discovered that my perspective on things changed. I started seeing things more broadly. I also began seeing things from my husband’s perspective and not just my own. I had been so focused on my own feelings and thoughts that I forgot to see all the wonderful things in him. I started seeing again all the positive things in my life. My health seemed hopeful, and more than anything, I felt gratitude! There is a little pond that I walk my dog to in the mornings and the sun glitters on the water which would bring me to tears, laughter, joy and love. As more and more of the layers of healing revealed themselves I began to get clarity on who I really was, who I had always been, what I love to do and what I am here to do.

So, if meditation is not a regular part of your life – just start! If it is already, keep going – it is the consistency that matters most, not the length of time. There are so many meditations out there and each will be drawn from different styles. Try many. I have gone through stages of guided meditations, music, mantra, walking and my favorite – just silence. I do not see meditation as a shutting down of the mind – don’t worry about “stilling the mind” or “seeking a quiet mind”, these are so hard, and often in my opinion, quite boring. Rather it is about shifting to a perspective of observing your thoughts and then listening – it’s quite fascinating. You will begin to hear your voice of intuition emerging, higher knowing and clarity – that’s when you start loving your meditation time. You’ll feel the joy of anticipation, wondering what you will learn today when you meditate. I was once told that a prayer is the asking and meditation is the listening. I couldn’t agree more!

To get you started, there is a gift for you on my home page when you sign up. It is a recording of the meditation I do for myself every morning. It is a combination of gratitude, prayer, energy clearing and filling, observing and surrender. The spoken part of the meditation is 15 minutes but I encourage you to stay in meditation longer and just listen, observe and receive.

I wish you many meditations that bring you balance, healing and joy!