meditation

My mother has accused me of not practicing what I preach.

Two Sundays ago, when my post on meditating came out, I rolled into the kitchen all sleepy-eyed and looking for coffee at eight a.m. and she asked, “Did you meditate this morning?” knowing full well I hadn’t.

When I think about it, there are lots of things I’ve stressed the importance of doing that I don’t necessarily do on a regular basis. In fact sometimes, I’m just laying around on the couch, not exercising, eating right or being positive, but watching lots of bad TV and languishing in resentment. Then, right before I succumbed to feeling like a total fraud, my friend Rhonda said something I hold on to. She said it was enough to inspire others to meditate and that I would succeed in developing my practice when I was ready. How very Buddhist of her, no?

So Rhonda and I began texting each other as encouragement to try and complete 10 days straight of meditation. Another friend commented on the original post that anything done for two years straight becomes a lifetime habit. Two years?! What happened to 30 days? 30 days seems possible, but two years is completely unrealistic. And I’m not even trying for 30 until I can master 10. So far, Rhonda and I have been texting back and forth a lot of 2/10’s. Until a few days ago, I got a 4/10 text from her. For all I know she’s almost there. Meanwhile, I’ve stalled out altogether. But even with my half-hearted attempts, I’ve been meditating two to three times a week during the holidays. Not bad, right? A for effort.

The point is, you can always begin again. Another friend observed, trying to meditate during the holidays is like trying to diet — you’re fighting a losing battle. Maybe. But who knows? Maybe I’ve managed to take a little stress out of the equation this month, too. And I’m that much closer to keeping those New Year’s resolutions when the time comes. And, perhaps most satisfying, I’m more likely to be able to say I’ve meditated when questioned by my mother. Although, meditating for spite is probably defeating the purpose. So, don’t feel you have to wait till the beginning of the year, first of the month, or a Monday. Start now. You can always start over.

Hot on the heels of my post about how I wasn’t getting any sleep, comes some practical advice on how to get some. Meditate.

I know, I know. You’ve heard it before. But maybe it’s always seemed (to borrow a term) a little “woo-woo” to you. Like you have to start drinking wheatgrass, growing your body hair and raising chickens to be any good at it. (Apologies to friends of mine who do these things.) But research shows the benefits are undeniable.

Meditation can help improve your ability to focus, sleep and fight infection. It’s also been shown to reduce cases of stress, anxiety, depression and addiction. Wait. Addiction? This last one got me. How on earth can meditation help with addiction, you ask? The answer made sense.

Take the example of food addiction, which is a good one for me because I love food and am always trying to watch my weight. (It’s probably a good example for everyone since we are smack in the middle of the gluttonous holidays.) Meditation can make you more able to notice cravings so you can stop before you succumb. It strengthens the muscles of attention, making it easier to let go of the “good-at-the-time” idea of consuming Hershey’s Kisses, french fries or an entire bag of Oreos. And meditation makes it easier to cope with stress, thus making it easier to avoid using the pleasure of a gallon of Rum Raisin ice cream as a crutch in the first place.

I think we can all agree it’s good for us and we probably should be doing it. So let’s take the mysticism out of it. No one’s asking you to have an out of body experience – just close your eyes! And try not to think about anything. Ahh, the catch. It’s this last part that’s hard. I find it helpful to focus on my breathing. Or try a guided meditation.

And yes, believe it or not, there’s an app for that. At Headspace.com you can sign up to receive daily guided meditations on your phone or lap top. And the best part is you can start easy – just ten minutes a day! Who can’t carve out ten minutes?

After I had committed mentally to doing it, I realized my problem wasn’t an issue of time. It was more location related. I needed to find a quiet place where I wouldn’t be interrupted. And then it came to me. The bathroom. People are always commenting on how relaxing and spacious it is. If I do it first thing in the morning, everyone’s still asleep – even Frankie! And there’s a perfect corner cabinet that doubles as a “shrine” or place to put things like a timer or incense. So, I’m shooting for ten minutes a day, for ten days. Beyond that, I can’t commit. I’m really not ready for chickens.

Amy F. Quincy Author/Freelance Writer

Tag

Beginning Again

My Bathroom, My Temple