Meditation Is For Everyone, But Especially For Those That Hate it.

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Why Meditation?

If you read Meditation and immediately went “NUHUH it does not work for me”, this is your sign to quiet those thoughts and read on. And if you are a fellow meditation lover, then I hope this post teaches you something new!

Back when I used to work reception for a yoga studio, I always had a stigma toward those who went to the meditation class.

“Are they just lazy? “

“How can you lie/sit there for an hour?”

” It’s just for old people, no?”

“What a waste of time, at least I go to REAL yoga classes!”

My competitive nature comes is very intertwined with my toxic trait of comparing myself to others. Trying to find proof of why I am better than others so I can feel I am enough. And well, those thoughts were the very reason I started meditation.

10 minutes later, I was dizzy, breathless, and possibly more anxious than when I started.

Back in early 2020, my panic & anxiety attacks became frequent. My doctor and therapist recommended I try to calm my mind by trying out meditation. I begrudgingly complied. So I google a ’10 minute meditation video’ on Youtube.

What in holy heck. The first few moments as I sat in silence listening to the teacher, I was on edge. My mind swirled around with anxious thoughts, worried at the time I was wasting instead of doing something productive. The teacher said to focus on the breath, and I forgot how to breathe. 10 minutes later, I was dizzy, breathless, and possibly more anxious than when I started.

I think this is why so many people refuse to meditate, because it is something you will never truly master. Weeks later, I was still on the 10 minute video, struggling to not think, get frustrated that I was failing at this too.

But somehow I stuck with it. I was gifted a years membership for the Calm App from my mother and would have notifications on reminding me to check in with my emotions and set time aside to meditate.

Two years later, I truly believe that meditation (besides medication) was the most successful way to face my OCD/anxiety/depression head on.

Easy Tips to Start (& Stay) Meditating

Starting your meditation journey is fairly simple. Take a seat. Close your eyes. Focus on the breathe.

However, the consistency & the duration of meditating is what gets a bit tricky. Below are a few tips I continue to use to make my meditation experience easier to follow-through with.

Choose a Designated Meditation Spot

In order to meditate properly, it is crucial to create a special place where you will be undisturbed and can escape the day’s chaos.

For me, I am still in the process of making my meditation corner into essentially a meditation shrine, so for now here are a few inspo pictures of what I am aiming mine to look like:

Think warm lighting, a cushion to sit on, candles, blankets, crystals, sound baths, plants, etc etc etc.

I am giving you permission to bring your happy place to LIFE!

Put it in Your Schedule

It can be hard to commit to meditation with so much else going on. Set aside 10-15 meaning each day where you know it will be easier to stick to it. I often mediate each morning right after I make my bed, yet sometimes when I wake up late, I will kindly remind myself to meditate that evening instead 🙂

If you have kids or pets or anything else the relies on you, see if you can get help from your partner to give you that 15 minute break or even meditate together hehe <3

Start with 5 Minutes

There are millions of youtube videos as well as meditation apps for you to access which will give you different timed options. I recommend starting with 5 minutes, because it will be very uncomfortable at first. Like I got dizzy and wanted to pass out. Things will happen and everything will be okay. After 5 minutes, use the extra time to journal or reflect on how it made you feel.

Know That Your Thoughts are Inevitable

A few days or weeks in to meditating, you will begin to realize that mediation is not actually the absence of thoughts, but allowing thoughts to come and go without allowing you mind to be pulled away from the present. It is impossible not to have thoughts, and often frustration begins because you set expectations to have no thoughts or it is complete failure (*cough cough ME).

And Above All, Do Not Panic

As someone with an anxiety disorder, going inside my own mind was initially terrifying. Initially, I wanted to do everything I could to escape my mind as my thoughts left me scared, out of control, and exhausted. Dealing with thoughts is a well-known struggle in our world. Too often people do not have access to right resources or past trauma makes them fear to ask for help, which it turn leads to detrimental coping patterns such as alcohol, aggression, drugs, over-eating, binging and many more.

When you start meditating, especially if you suffer from a mental illness, your mind will do everything in its power to convince you to give up. You will be pulled into your negative thoughts, your mind will send you spiralling, you will forget how to breathe, you will even start to get nauseous, and you will end up feeling like that mediation is pointless. But it isn’t.

Each time you face that darkness, slowly but surely, you will be able to gain traction & start to piece together the patterns of your mind. Especially with the help of meditation teachers through the apps, they will give you insight into many issues people run into while meditating, and you will begin to see that success looks a-lot different than you thought. I promise

You will begin to realize that mediation is not actually the absence of thoughts, but allowing thoughts to come and go without allowing you mind to be pulled away from the present

Meditation Products & Accessories

Meditation is also fun, I swear! My favourite part is the accessories 😉 Below are some my favourite mediation products I use or think you would love:

APPS

Offers a free membership, however most of the good features are via the Premium Membership which is $76.99 / yr or $500 for life!
I was able to get a year free through my mom’s Telus plan so there are definitely some ways to get around paying. I know some who get it for free through work too!
It makes a great gift btw.

Get 14 days free!
I love the cute little drawings/cartoons they have on here.

Bloom provides thorough CBT Therapy videos, including a great feature to check-in with yourself
There is a free trial 🙂

CUSHIONS/SEATING

The Calm Sit Set– B Yoga

Linen Crescent Sit Set – Halfmoon *this is the one I have (beige what a surprise)

Petra Sit Set – Love My Mat

CALMING OIL

Saje – Stress Release Mist Essential Oil Collection
Reflection Roll-On
Saje – Tranquility Roll-On

Nothing Can Stop You Now!

I hope you were able to learn some useful tips in starting or re-starting your meditation journey. As always, I am here for you questions if you have anything.

Much love – C

Looking for more? Check out these blogs below:

Meditation Is For Everyone, But Especially For Those That Hate it.

,

Why Meditation?