Meditation Advice and Guidance
We are all spending a lot more time at home and together right now. It’s fantastic. We have the opportunity to spend more quality time together - in theory!
In reality, we are all struggling with unprecedented challenges. Often juggling work - either on the ‘front line’ or from home; childminding and homeschooling and financial worries as unemployment reaches new highs. In the midst of all this, it can be tough to find time for yourself. It’s hard to remember that taking time for yourself is not selfish. It is not prioritising yourself over others. It is saying ‘me too’. I need time for myself.
One small change you can make is taking a short time from your busy day to meditate or reflect on something important to you. We know it can seem scary - from the world of celebrities and the carefree. But you’ve heard about the benefits and want to give it a try, but just don’t know-how. Perhaps we can help. Here are a few ideas from the Massage Me team that have helped us create good meditation practices.
Be Realistic
We say we are ‘practising’ meditation and think what that means. It means you aren’t likely to be perfect on day one - it will take time. You aren’t likely to be sat by the sea, at one with the waves, for 30 minutes of bliss, thought-free silence on day one. Sorry. But if you stick with it, you can get there.
The idea of meditation is to connect with the present, with the right now. To ground yourself in the current place, you find yourself - both figuratively and literally. Like this, you can become more aware of yourself, your thoughts, intentions and emotions. Getting back in touch with yourself can help you make more informed decisions as you move through your day, which will make your world a better place to be in.
Choose your setting
The idea of taking 5 minutes to yourself is great - but you need to make sure you can actually do it! There is no point in trying to take 5 minutes when distractions surround you. Whether it is family, the TV, chores, noise… Chose your space with some intention. Think of somewhere, quiet, free of clutter. It doesn’t have to be big, but with enough space, for you to sit comfortably. Mindworks have a good video on how to ‘take your seat’ for comfortable seated meditation.
Embrace Nature
If you can add a natural element to the meditation, I find this can really make the whole experience much more enjoyable. If you have a garden, a balcony, this could be perfect. If not, maybe sit by an open window, try and encourage some fresh air into your lungs whilst you are meditating.
If you are out on a day trip with friends and family, it might be possible to move away from the group and take 5 minutes for yourself to sit and reflect quietly whilst you are outside.
If you can’t get outside, look around you and see what elements you have to hand. You might be surprised! Do you have a plant (earth) you could focus on? Or perhaps a water element - a fish tank or some seashells from the beach? Or some nature photos on your wall or your phone?
Having something like this nearby can help you tune into the natural world around you - even if you live on the 9th floor in an apartment (like me!).
Guided Meditation
You can download several apps - often for free - that will offer a variety of practices. Listening to a calming storey or focusing on your breathing, or repeating a mantra, for example. Apps like headspace or Calm are top-rated and well known. Calm is free to download - with in-app purchases. Headspace has a monthly fee, and there are often free first month trials to see if you gel with their method. During the Covid-19 pandemic, they are also offering free usage to help promote the importance of mental health.
I recently found a guided recording from a student at Bournemouth University (having graduated from BU many moons ago, it’s always great to support other alumni!). Bensu Boran is trained in reiki, a Japanese technique for stress reduction & relaxation, and has created the following audio file - download and listed to wherever you choose.
Baby Steps
If you are new to meditation, then baby steps are the key! Trying to sit and meditate for 20 minutes or 1 hour immediately is not going to be very easy - and may well put you off meditating further. Set yourself a small intention - perhaps 5 minutes of focused breathing or choosing a beginner exercise from an app you can follow. The Calm app has exercises starting from only 3 minutes long.
It’s surprising how hard it can be to focus the mind on one thing entirely. The mind wanders - a lot! But this is normal, and it’s ok. Acknowledge the thought process and then return to the centre of your meditation - whether it is breathwork, repeating a mantra or listening to a guided storey.
…and repeat
5 minutes can seem like a long time at first, but with patience, you will find it becomes easier and quicker to focus your mind. As you feel more comfortable, you can start to lengthen the practice to 10 minutes or 15 minutes etc.
Remember always to choose a length of practice that fits with your lifestyle and then to repeat ideally every day, but even 2 or 3 times a week can make a difference. Try to build into your lifestyle. Perhaps you have more time in the evening before bed, great. Or during your lunch break from work. Find what works for you. If you are trying to force something into your day, it’s likely that you won’t continue with the practice. So listen to your intuition and create something that resonates and enhances your current lifestyle.
So there you go. Some ideas from the Massage Me team to help you start taking a little bit of time back for yourself. Remember, little bits can add up to a much bigger picture. Never underestimate taking those 5 minutes for yourself. We’ve also created a specific Meditation board on Pinterest with more ideas and resources to help motivate you to get going!