Have you ever meditated at home and been distracted by the other fifty million things you're supposed to be doing? There are a few factors to meditating so I thought I'd explore these further in a blog.
Meditation is a very ancient art form, its literally been around for thousands of years and evidence of meditative practices can be found all over the world. In our busy 'modern' lives we are now being called to allocate time to quieten our minds, relax and go within. Somehow we're supposed to squeeze this precious time in every day, however, this is much easier said than done. Our lifestyles demand us to be constantly, manically busy and when we're not busy we should pretend to be busy, in order to not be seen as lazy. We're so frantic we hardly have time for our family let alone friends and rush from here to there with an endless stream of things to do. But inside this everyday madness we're expected to simply turn our minds off for an hour, not think about anything at all, reap the benefits then return to running around like headless chickens. It's all a bit cray, cray in my opinion. It's no wonder then, that meditating can be profoundly difficult for many people, especially when you're just starting out.
Unfortunately, there's no quick fix for this problem and no magic pill which will help you. To success you must put some effort in - but the good news is, the immediate beneficiary is YOU! And as you continue on your self discovery journey, your family and friends will also benefit from a calmer, more stable, happier you.
I believe we should not treat meditation as we would an exercise class, where you turn up, drag your way through it to tick the box for the greater good and then get back on with your life. In order to actually reap the benefits of this amazing practice, a holistic approach is much more helpful and allows us more of an opportunity to heal, grow and learn.
Live, guided meditations are a fabulous way to help you learn about meditation. Sure, you can get an app and listen to a meditation any time of the day, but there's something about being present, in the moment, with the instructor and others that really heightens the experience. Live meditations also mean you MUST be fully present. You've paid for it. Maybe you've travelled to it. You've committed and you've had to carve time out of your life in order to turn up for it. That, right there, is the first step to successful meditating.
Making time, proper, un-interrupted time for your meditation is vital. On the go meditations are fantastic once you're used to meditating and can quickly get into the zone when needed. But, allowing enough quality time for a meditation to truly sink in on a cellular level, is so important it cannot be underestimated.
If you're meditating at home, your phone MUST be switched off or on silent, your smart watch placed in a separate room, and any devices in the room where you're meditating should be checked to ensure they won't 'notify' you or disturb you in any way. Being interrupted during a meditation is deeply unhelpful (unless its an emergency of course). You have to do this first step every time you meditate.
When you're starting out it's a good idea to be in a place or location where you can fully relax either sitting or lying down. Use blankets, pillows or cushions to get comfortable and to keep warm. Your body temperature will drop as you sink into your meditative state, so bare this in mind as you prepare. As you become more used to the practice, you'll find you can meditate almost anywhere.
Although I love candles, I do not recommend the use of candles if you are meditating alone. You're not going to see them as your eyes will be closed and you wouldn't leave a candle unattended if you were leaving the house - which is pretty much what you're doing! If you insist on using candles, please, please, keep them away from curtains, carpets, bedding and in a very safe, fireproof container. Its worth taking these precautions, it really is.
Setting up your space can be a fun way to get ready to meditate. Consider a small alter with items you feel drawn to, burning incense (a good quality one) beforehand really sets the atmosphere, choosing your favourite crystals, picking fresh flowers, having a journal, oracle cards or a pendulum for afterwards, none of these things are compulsory for success, but they all add into making your experience a special one. Playing relaxing music (if there's none on the meditation) I personally find super helpful at keeping my mind quiet!
Then, when you're ready, dressed in your comfy clothes with your hair loose and wearing limited jewellery, ensure your legs and arms are un-crossed, breathe deeply and enjoy the journey!
With love and light
Alisa
xxx