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My favourite way to meditate is not what you may think. When it comes to me meditating, are you picturing me sitting in a lotus position, repeating “Ohm” over and over again?
Think again.
Although that way of meditating may work for some, it just doesn’t work for me. And trust me, I’ve tried. I’ve taken classes, attended seminars, and even meditated once with the late actor William Hurt. Truth be told, I wasted the entire class staring at him. He was really good at meditating, by the way.
I was not.
The biggest factor is time. Since my last birdie flew the nest and left for university, carpooling and schlepping kids here and there is no longer a part of my lifestyle. As a result, I do have the extra time to devote to meditating.
But do I want to devote the time?
Not really.
Why?
My mind won’t let me. Or, at least I am not able to. Or maybe I don’t want to. Yet?
My life used to be all about more. To go and go. And go again. It was working for me, but then it wasn’t. Especially what I’m tackling these days. I know I needed to slow down, but I didn’t know how to, but I knew I needed to start somewhere. And maybe I didn’t really understand the benefits and outcomes of slowing down!
| Several months ago, I wrote about UnMeditation and how I work it into my schedule. It still rings true. I nod my head as I re-read this paragraph: That’s why @BorenCommunications calls it Unmeditation because it’s meditation according to you – that makes sense and feels right. Your lifestyle. Your terms. No judgment. It’s turning “I can’t” into “I can”. And honey, with these rules, you bet I can un-meditate. And so can you! I still brush my teeth and close my eyes for a minute. I get up from my desk and lie down on the floor for a few minutes and breathe. When weather permits, I go outside and sit by my pool and breathe. And then if I want to get fancy, I log into The Wellness Intelligence Collective and listen to Lisa Borden (@LisaBorden) who has prerecorded sessions and short UnMeditations in The Self-Care Studio. The link is below. After just a few minutes, I am not only taking the time to calm the heck down, but I’m also taking a moment to reflect. I know I’m supposed to clear my mind during UnMeditation, it still wonders just a little, but for the right reasons. By slowing down and just lying here and breathing, I think about this and this which makes me feel grateful and calm. Then there are all of the benefits that I haven’t explored – yet! UnMeditation is my favourite way to meditate. |
The state of my nervous system is more balanced and flowing because I’m taking care of it and therefore I feel calmer, grounded, and more productive. I can go from a phone call to text to email and to writing with more ease. My sleep has improved and when I’m done working out, my stretching sessions are a bit longer because it feels so good to be mindful and be still or move consciously for a little while longer on my mat and breathe.
But only for a few minutes. 😉
I now have more ability to be quieter and listen to myself. I am not yet able to stop “monkey mind” but we don’t need to in order to UnMeditate. To be still for 20 minutes at a time is not where I am right now. And maybe I will never be there and that’s OK. My mind is constantly filled with things I want to write about, what I want to eat for lunch, and feeling grateful. Maybe one day I will be able to meditate longer, but at the moment, all I can manage is a few minutes of stillness.
And it feels really good. I urge you to try it. We all need a little more calm in our lives, don’t we?
| Take the UnMeditation Learning Lab: https://bordencom.com/home/2022/03/discover-unmeditation/ Join the Self Care Studio to try the Coherence session: https://bordencom.com/home/2021/12/self-care-studio/ |