Q: Meditation. Where do I even begin? What are the benefits? How has this helped in your daily life?
For me, meditation has been one of the hardest practices to adapt, but 100 percent one of the best.
I thought forever I had to have an altar, a particular cushion, a quiet zen room, and hours to spend seated in hopes of becoming the “perfect” yogi.
The reality is — none of that is true. When I learned that I could literally park my car at the back of the Whole Foods parking lot, turn off my phone, and sit quietly for 5 minutes, it changed my life and my idea of what a meditation practice should and more importantly could be.
The benefits of meditation for me are endless. It is the time I am able to sit with my thoughts and sift through them without any judgment. No good, bad, right, or wrong, just more a sense of, “Is this working for you?”
In meditation, I find myself more present to the real authentic voice inside of me that promotes happiness and wellness over judgment and fear.
Don’t get me wrong, all of that stuff still creeps in, but through a meditative practice I am able to re-group, breathe, focus and realign my intentions for myself, my family, my work, and ultimately the world. As I do better, I offer the world a better version of myself and in that create a higher vibration. When I am in chaos I am no one’s friend, especially my own.
I encourage you to keep it simple to start.
Step one: Find an app such as Headspace that has short simple meditations. I also love @deepakchopra on Instagram for inspiration.
Step two: Sit your butt down for 5-10 minutes and see what comes up. You can really sit anywhere you can disconnect and find quiet for a short (or long) time.
Step three: Allow your mind to wander. Yes! Allow it. What tends to happen is we try to meditate and our mind is all over the place so we think we are “bad” at it, when in reality we are learning a new skill. I think of it like this: The first time you got on a bike and fell off you didn’t quit, right? Meditation is the same. Start slow and use training wheels (an app for 5 minutes) and keep trying.
Step four: Pay attention to the subtle changes around you. For me it was my reaction time with my kids. I didn’t fly off the handle as quickly as before. I was able to ground my feet, take a deep breath, and respond to them in a more calm way — which for this mama of three little kids is a big one.
Bottom line: In this pressure cooker world we live in we need calm. We need focused and grounded energy. Meditation for me is my gift not only to myself but to everyone in my world and beyond. I bet you will surprise yourself with the ease and peace it brings in short bursts of focused time. Happy sitting!
Hear more from Frick on her podcast Are You For Real? available on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
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