Yesterday was my 4th day of a long weekend. It was a weekend of chills, downtime and catch ups with one of my best friends.
… I went for a run in the morning and decided to do an impromptu meditation session when I reached my turning point for home; the cliffs above Bondi Beach.
After talking about the benefits of meditating over the weekend, I thought ”Imma do it!”.
The Headspace app is a tried and tested way to zone out (and awesome for helping you drift off to sleep) but I wasn’t angling for that yesterday.
I wanted to try and delve into a deeper peace, without the aid of an app talking me through.
I really wanted to see if I could actually do it, properly!
11 steps = My first attempt at meditating
- I committed to actually trying
- I sat down comfortably; legs crossed and my back up straight and strong
- I read this ”How to meditate” step-by-step article on Wikipedia
- I took in that the article mentioned beginners generally ”start with 5 minutes”, whereas seasoned campaigners ”can do 20 minutes, twice a day”
- I decided, with that in mind, that I would ”do 10 minutes”
- I didn’t think there was any hope I would make 10 minutes without moving/ looking at my phone/ thinking ”I can’t do this” and giving up
- I set a 10 minute timer on my phone
8. I chose a mantra of my choice; I naturally chose to silently chant ”inner peace” … so, I’m guessing that is what I’m looking for right now (as nothing else made me want to repeat it over and over)
9. I took control of my breathing, focusing mainly on the feeling of my rib cage moving up and down and then secondly of my shoulders doing the same
10. I noticed that I held my breathe and breathing gently didn’t come easily to me. However, I already knew this – I often hold my breath for long periods while at my desk in work … this fact is one of the reasons I wanted to try meditating; to shake it off and just be more chill
11. Before I knew it the 10 minute timer was buzzing. I had done it; zoned out peacefully for a full 10!
My mind had frequently wandered to thoughts of work during my 10 mins but I kept my focus on my breathing, taking notice of my body and repeating my chosen mantra ”inner peace, inner peace, inner peace” …
I opened my eyes to the sound of the sea and the sights of beautiful Bondi ahead.
Sure, I don’t know necessarily know what ”properly meditating” feels like because I haven’t been ~taught properly~ but I followed the Wiki article and really tried wholeheartedly and it felt genuinely good!
Going forward; meditating is something I am going to make more time for.
I see my running as my ”me time”, my ”time out” but there’s no reason why I can’t make 10 more minutes a day for myself here and there.
Have you ever tried meditating? I’d love to hear how you get on. It’s a weird one if it’s new to you but I think if you can master the art; you are going to unveil a new realm of a healthier body and mind.
Long gone are the days where meditating and Yoga was ”just for hippies”; these are the kind of practices that will hugely benefit all areas of your life.
I am so glad the thought crossed my mind to try it and I wasn’t afraid to sit in public and get lost in my quest for calm.
… I thought it might make me feel weird when I then started to run back home but if anything, I just felt like my head was clear and I could appreciate my journey back in the sweltering heat
I look forward to trying again and will aim to ‘have a go’ at least once a week for the next month or so to try and build a routine – I’ll share any helpful findings as I go.
”Sitting like a mountain let your mind rise, fly and soar” – Sogyal Rinpoche
Thank you for reading.
@LaraLain
