Meditation: Headspace, Alone Time Length: 5 minutes Where: Living room couch, Los Angeles How It Felt: Peaceful
Yesterday was a bit of a sprint. I had multiple appointments, a workshop, and phone calls all day. By the time it was all done, I just wanted to melt into the couch and relaaaaaaax.
I cooked myself a lovely dinner and, afterward, I didn’t have a lot of energy to do much at all. I didn’t neglect my meditation time, though!
I didn’t feel up to the next session in the “How to Meditate” series, so I chose a quick, easy, 5 minute session from Headspace called “Alone Time.” I have very little of my precious alone time left and I want to truly embrace it!
Even though the meditation was short, I felt so much better afterward! Here is what I’ve realized- even the shortest of meditations can be really effective if I do all or most of the following things in the time I have:
- Breathe deeply- I could go a whole day and forget to do this once if I don’t meditate or do yoga
- Relax my jaw
- Relax my shoulders (and more…. and more…. and again… and more…)
- Check in with my anxiety levels and emotions in general
- Release something I don’t need- negativity, tension, etc
- Feel gratitude for anything at all, even just for the ability to breathe
- Get present and “in my body”
- Smile
This entire checklist can be accomplished in as little as a minute or two, if it’s done mindfully. I don’t actually go through the list in my mind or anything, but these are the things I’m learning to do intuitively as I go. Suddenly, I can’t imagine going an entire day without stopping to check in like this, even though I survived most of my days for 35 years without doing it at all!
I really can’t picture a world where I stop meditating now that I see how much it helps me and how easy it is to fit it in each day. I look forward to it so much! The important thing is that I stay flexible, allowing myself to pivot as needed and to do the meditation my mind and body call for that day. If I try to force myself to do big, long, deep meditations no matter how I’m feeling, I know I’ll give up.
Maybe, as I practice, I’ll work up to that, but at the moment I need to stay light on my feet, so to speak.
Hey- I’m supposed to be working on being more flexible during this challenge! It was one of my goals. So, there you go. I’m getting the hang of it, I think! Less “jamming stuff into my life and trying to force it to fit,” more “find what works and reroute as you go.”
Yes. I like that.
My Year of Meditation 