Meditation literally saved me, here’s how! In March of 2020 I developed horrible insomnia. I was losing weight, not sleeping, stressing over money, work, time, and losing my summer job.  I started walking around my neighborhood just to kill time.  Then I got bored with that and I started running. I AM NOT A RUNNER! I NEVER have been. 

I am 45 years old and I just started to run. I laugh at myself when I am running.  I think to myself, “what am I doing? Who starts running at 45 years old?” lol   It’s pretty funny and I am still professing that “I AM NOT A RUNNER”  oh well. Maybe I am.   (of course I dropped the weed eater on my toe and broke it so now, I am on the DL list for running and wearing closed toed shoes)

Going back to school during a pandemic was not easy. We didn’t have any previous data and studies to help us since this had never happened before. It was crazy. It wasn’t a flood that closed the schools for a few weeks  like the last 7 years in Houston.  There is such a vast rift between the believers and followers and the naysayers.   Who do you trust, what do you believe?  For me, it was a slippery slope and I was just doing the best I could to stay safe and healthy while trying not to compromise too much of myself.   But as an extrovert, it was hard…

Something that I rely on is my mental health.  I very much believe in the body mind connection and today I want to share a few techniques and tools I use to make my life better. Literally.

you can purchase. I have bought from them and have been 100% satisfied with their materials. I highly recommend this site for all your meditation and perhaps other therapeutic training needs. 

Don’t forget to practice your guided meditation script before you read it to someone else. Here is a great link on how to prepare to do a guided meditation for others. If you don’t want to click the link here is the gist of it. 

Let your client know that it’s normal if their mind wanders during the meditation! Ask them to simply notice their mind has wandered without judging or criticizing themselves. Then they should just bring their attention back to the visualization. This may need to be done repeatedly – and it gets easier with practice!

If it helps, you could use this sample text:

“Remember that if your mind wanders, that’s normal! Just notice that your mind has wandered and – without judging or criticizing yourself – simply bring your attention back to the visualization. You may have to do this over and over – and know that it gets easier with practice.”

Here are 9 More Helpful Tips for Reading Guided Meditations:

1.  Breathe slowly and deeply, into your stomach.
2.  It can be helpful to let your client or group hear your long breaths to model relaxation (and because they will naturally slow their breathing in response). So, share your deep breaths with your client – but don’t overdo it!
3.  Imagine you’re speaking from deep and low in your chest.
4.  Soften, and consider deepening or lowering your voice below its normal range.
5.  Your energetic state will “come through” when you are reading, so be sure to take a few moments before reading the meditations to ensure you are in a calm space.
6.  Read slower than you think you need to. Take your time. Each comma and period or full-stop, is an opportunity for you to take a small pause.
7.  Take pleasure in – and enjoy – reading the meditations!
8.  I recommend you allow a couple of minutes before reading the meditation to quieten and slow down your client’s experience eg. speak more slowly and calmly as you move into reading the meditation to them.
9.  Finally, afterwards, allow time for your client to gently return to the present/your coaching session.

Bonus Tip:

1. You may also wish to de-brief your clients’ experience. This is a great way to solidify their experience and learning, and help them connect with the benefits of meditation. You could ask a question like, “What do you notice in your body right now?” or “How do you feel now, after that experience? What is different?”.

On Breathing Exercises as Meditation . . .

Another form of meditation is just focused breathing. Believe it or not, just sitting and consciously focusing on your breathing is a form of meditation that can alter mood in as quick as 5 to 15 minutes. I have several that I use often and below is my favorite that you can see from the websiteverywellmind.com  Here is one of my favorites from that site

Alternate-Nostril Breathing

Alternate-nostril breathing (nadi shodhana) involves blocking off one nostril at a time as you breathe through the other, alternating between nostrils in a regular pattern.2 It’s best to practice this type of anxiety-relieving breathing in a seated position in order to maintain your posture.

1. Position your right hand by bending your pointer and middle fingers into your palm, leaving your thumb, ring finger, and pinky extended. This is known as Vishnu mudra in yoga.
2. Close your eyes or softly gaze downward.
3. Inhale and exhale to begin.
4. Close off your right nostril with your thumb.
5. Inhale through your left nostril.
6. Close off your left nostril with your ring finger.
7. Open and exhale through your right nostril.
8. Inhale through your right nostril.
9. Close off your right nostril with your thumb.
10. Open and exhale through your left nostril.
11. Inhale through your left nostril.

Work up to 10 rounds of this breathing pattern. If you begin to feel lightheaded, take a break by releasing both nostrils and breathing normally.

On Drawing Meditation . . .

Stylist.co.uk.com has a great article about drawing as a form of meditation and I am so down for this.  It suggests scribbling, Intuitive drawing, and drawing without criticizing oneself and not erasing it.  Read the article here and get all the 411 on this cool alternative form of meditation. 

As a teacher, I highly recommend using these exercises for yourself and your students.  Whether doing this virtually or in person you can use these day or night with others. When you notice you’ve been sitting too long, been online etc..   Try one of these with your class/group and see what happens.  I have seen a group of kids go from antsy and disengaged to settled and focused.  You can use these to start your day, when you come back from a break or any other time you notice your class melting down. (Or yourself)    A friend of mine uses one of these exercises before bed. It helps her clear her mind and transition into a healthy bedtime routine. 

Let me know what you try and what works for you.  Happy meditating!