Sharing Love Joy & Miracles-Gift of Meditation Blog #8
Felt like a miracle!!! When I was about twelve years old, I learned how to meditate in a yoga class with very simple breathing techniques. It made such a difference in my day. I was more calm and happy and much more centered and I even got a better night's sleep. When I get stressed I find myself holding my breath a lot. These simple techniques changed all of that. Growing up, there was a lot of turmoil in our home with my parents fighting, Dad’s depression and substance abuse… it was a major dichotomy of seeing and experiencing love and joy and the next minute anger and rage. I wished I had learned about meditation even earlier in my life.
At fifteen I made the determination to do a daily practice of meditation. I would ground myself and sit and set my energy and make my intention for the day. It was so powerful to focus on what I chose to create that day and I began to see the difference in my life in how things would happen and flow in. I realized for me that meditating was as important in my life as brushing my teeth. I would take about 10-20 minutes in the morning to meditate and I felt so much more awake, aware, safe, joyful and alive. What a gift!
Some very simply breathing meditations that really help me:
1. First create a nice comfortable place to meditate for a few minutes. Sit in a quiet spot in a cozy chair with your feet flat on the floor. Relax and give yourself a few nice deep breaths, then close your eyes. Be aware of your body, centering within yourself for a few minutes right here and right now. Notice how your body is feeling at this very moment. Say hello to your body and give it some love and appreciation for all it does for you.
2. Allow yourself to be relaxed and do deep belly breathing (breathing deeply so your belly expands out as you breathe in and flattens as you breathe out). Begin by inhaling through your nose to the count of four 1-2-3-4, then hold your breath to the count of four 1-2-3-4 and then exhale to the count of four 1-2-3-4. Do this technique three times in a row. Then notice how you feel. Breathe normally. Are you feeling more relaxed and a little less tension in the body? Just release to God any worry, fear and doubts. Let your shoulders and tummy and body just BE.
3. Next give yourself a nice big breath in and hold it to count of five 1-2-3-4-5 and release your breath to count of seven 1-2-3-4-5-6-7. Do this three times. Again let your tummy expand as you inhale and relax and flatten as you exhale. Breathe normally.
4. Now give yourself a deep breathe in of LOVE and breathe out any WORRY. Breathe in JOY and breathe out all FEAR. Breathe in PEACE and breathe out UNCERTAINTY. Then give yourself three nice deep breaths just filling your whole body to overflowing with LOVE and COMPASSION and see it as a glowing Gold and Pink color filling up every cell in your body as you breathe. Now relax and breathe normally and let yourself just BE for a few minutes. Set your intention for the day to determine what you would like to create. Feel your core-self become calm, happy and peaceful.
5. Write in your journal about what you experienced, and how you feel, and what kind of intention you chose with your creative power for the day.
And breathe!
Enjoy this magical day!
Continued next week...