Meditation for Relaxation

Christmas season can sometimes be a stressful time, so for the next posts, we thought it would be a good time to support self-care.  First up, meditation to help unwind, reset and center yourself.

 First Steps to Start Meditation

Meditation has been treasured by cultures around the world. From France to China, from the United States to Australia, meditation is respected and studied in every corner of our globe. Here are the easy steps to incorporate meditation into your routine.

Be Comfortable

Meditation doesn’t have to be about isolated granite mountaintops with sticks and twigs to eat. You can meditate anywhere at any time. The primary key is to be comfortable. Dress in a way that’s loose and relaxing. Most people sit on the floor on a cushion. If that doesn’t work well for you, for whatever health reasons, sit on a chair, or couch, or lie down. Find a way to be comfortable with your body’s situation.

Let your eyes go soft. Focus on something in front of you. If you need to, close your eyes.

It’s All About the Breath

Breathe in long, slow, and deep. Let your lungs fill your upper chest, mid chest, and lower abdomen. Let your stomach fluff out as if it was rising bread. Relax and feel the rich oxygen filling you.

Pause.

Breathe out, out, out, releasing the toxins and carbon dioxide. Release the negativity. Relax.

Pause.

Breathe in, lifting yourself up, knowing that this moment here is the most important moment. Everything you can do or be is in this current moment. The past is gone and untouchable. The past is beyond change. The future is unknowable. Your moment for being present is now.

Breathe out, releasing, emptying, cleansing yourself.

As you continue to breathe, thoughts will come. It’s what thoughts do. Watch them come in, observe them, and know they do not control you. There are simply flitting illusions. You can examine them and let them go again. Bring your attention back to your breath.

Breathe.

More thoughts will come. This is the practice. This is the exercise. The more you learn to release the thoughts and to regain your focus, the better your attention will be. This will serve you well in anything you do in life. The more you can learn to concentrate, and to be present, the better able you will be to reach your goals. To achieve your dreams. To stick with a project until it is complete.

Breathe.

The world continues on. The sun cycles around its path. And all we have is our breath and the moment of now in which to act. Make the most of this moment. Be present. Be focused.

Lisa Shea

Shelly W.