Meditation Monday - Love and Gratitude

Today's meditation is probably one of my favorites. It is simple and incredibly beneficial. And you can do it for as long or as short as you would like. Simply find yourself in a nice, comfortable position. My favorite is to sit in a supported half-lotus or cross legged position with a wall or pillow behind me. I place my hands palms up on my knees, but you can put your hands wherever is comfortable to you. You can even do this sitting in your car (NOT while driving) or at your desk.

Take 5 or 6 deep, cleansing breaths and then simply focus on breathing in Love, and breathing out Gratitude. You can focus on simply the feeling of love and gratitude, or you can focus on something you love about yourself and exhale something you are grateful for. I find that I do a little of both. Especially if it is a longer meditation.

When you focus just on being plain old grateful, for everything, and you can feel the gratitude just exuding from you. And as you breathe in all that love, you just fill right up with happiness.

Halfway through you could reverse things, breath in gratitude and breath out love.

However you do it, even if it is just 3 minutes, it is a great way to tune into all the positive, lovely things that surround you. Especially if you are having a hard day, having a hard time getting along with someone or have any stresses in your life.

Give it a try, tell me what you think!

Namaste

Thursday Meditation - Redefining "Success"

Ok, so I was thinking about it and "Meditation Thursday" doesn't make sense. So we shall do Meditation Monday. Because that makes sense! (as in, both start with the letter M. Feeling like you are back in your Sesame Street days?) However, that doesn't mean I won't do a meditation today. In fact, I shall.

Lately I have been thinking about limiting behaviors. Things that we consciously or unconsciously do as a "protection" for ourselves. These limiting behaviors can be obvious or subtle, but identifying them is the first step.

For instance, the biggest one I have been focusing on is my body's and subconscious mind's desire to stay "fat". (Now, I fully recognize that I am not "fat". I HAVE fat. And I am supposed to have fat to function. However, I do have weight I need to lose in order to be my healthiest.) I use having extra weight as a back up plan, an excuse, a way to make "failure" better. Or to circumvent even having to try, and therefore avoiding failure altogether.

I realized that I was attacking my "problem" all wrong. I was simply focusing on the weight. Not the reason for the weight. And that is when I really started looking at the word SUCCESS. And what it really meant to me.

As I first started thinking about success this quote came to mind:

After contemplating this quoteI realized that what I really needed to do was redefine what "Success"
meant to me.

So last night I sat down to meditate and visualize and change. So, I am going to walk you through my meditation last night, and maybe it will be beneficial for you!

First, look at some of your limiting behaviors. Maybe it isn't weight. Maybe it is avoiding doing what you need to do by making yourself busy with unnecessary things. Maybe it is watching countless hours of Netflix in order to avoid your emotions and feelings. Once you've found that limiting behavior think about the WHY. 

If it is success, maybe try this:

Redefine success. I decided that MY definition of success would be, "Showing up every day and living my inner truth."

And as I sat in my comfortable, cross legged position. Palms up, back straight, chin tucked (jalandhara bandha)  I cleared my mind, focused on my breath and then started repeating to myself, "Success is showing up every day and living my inner truth." And as I repeated that, over and over and over again, something didn't resonate with me. So I started to change my phrase to, "Success is showing up every day and listening to my inner truth."

Sometimes, living your inner truth is a huge, massive, big step. Sometimes it is a little step. But listening to it? That is something everyone can do. I can do that. I can focus on listening. And in listening, I will shape my life. 

After several minutes of this I realized that I wanted to eliminate the idea of "success" being necessary entirely. I didn't want there to be success or failure. So, I changed it again. "Show up every day and listen to my inner truth." I focused on that for a long, long time. I wanted to rewire my thinking, and my body, to realize that I did not believe in failure or success. I believed in simply being. In showing up. In listening. And that I could let go of all else that did not serve me, or this truth. 

So that is what I did, once I felt this truth resonate within me, I focused on letting go of everything that did not serve that truth. Behaviors, weight, thought patterns and beliefs. I focused on letting it ALL go. With every inhale I filled myself with this new truth, with ever exhale I let go of all that did not serve it. I did this for about 5 minutes before I really began to feel at peace with this new state of being.

I know that this is going to be an ongoing meditation and exercise for me. I really want this truth to be MY truth. And letting go of everything that does not serve this truth is going to take time to let go. But, I love that I have found this truth for myself. Maybe this isn't your definition of success, or part of your truth. And that is great! Find out what YOUR definition is, and meditate on it. Change from the inside out. Listen to your inner truth. Be you. Be happy.

Simply Be.

Namaste

Thursday Meditation

It should be no surprise that I like to meditate.I don't always get my 20 minutes in, but I really like to meditate.

I thought that today I would share one of my current meditations with you.

For me, I usually meditate after a yoga practice but before savasana. Or right before I go to bed. I once tried to meditate when I first woke up, but I kind of fell back to sleep.... so that didn't work.

If you are interested in meditating but have never really done it before, I'll walk you through what I do:

I start by sitting in a comfortable seated position, I place my hands on my knees palms up. You can place your hands anywhere that is comfortable. Sometimes it is nice to sit up against something to support your back. I take several deep breaths, I use breath evenly and deeply in and out through my nose. I try to use the same breath that  I use in my yoga practice. I use my inhales and exhales to help focus my meditation. I inhale one phrase or mantra, and exhale one phrase or mantra. Or, I'll focus on breathing in love and exhaling gratitude. But that is a topic for another time.

Once I am settled, I repeat this (and variations of this) as I also focus on my breath and quieting my mind. After several rounds I try to clear my mind and just breathe and settle into the feeling of being enough.

I am enough.

I have everything I need right now.

I am all I need.

My life is full of blessings I deserve and trials for my learning.

I am strong, able and wonderful.

I am enough.

I am enough of a woman.

I am enough of a person.

I am whole, complete.

I am deserving.

I am where I am meant to be. At this moment.

I am all I need.

I am enough. Now and forever.

My love is enough. My heart is enough. My body is enough.

I am enough.

Do you like to meditate? Do you use it in your daily life? Would you like more guided meditations?