Is now the right time to develop a calm meditation practice? I think it is and I want to help in these tricky times, so I’ve decided to offer FREE group meditation sessions on zoom. Hopefully you’ve been able to join the first two and I’d love it if you would join me on the final session on Wednesday 6th May at 8.30am.
The Benefits of Meditation
I’m sure you’ve already heard much about the benefits of meditation. So I’m not going to rave on about the benefits (much). If you haven’t yet heard meditation can help you with an incredibly diverse range of things such as providing immense relief from your anxiety and stress, resetting your circadian rhythms, regulating a daily practice of deep rest, facilitating repair in your body, encouraging a deeper sense of connection and wholeness – the list is endless. These are just some of the top few that are relevant to our current circumstances.
This may be your opportunity to include meditation within your daily ritual so that you can use these crazy COVID-19 days to hone a skill that can serve you in other challenges that will inevitably come over the years (to all of us). Life brings us all shades of circumstance – some we perceive as brilliant, others perceive as not so. We know that there will always be more challenges. Thankfully, adopting meditation as a daily practice can really help you rise to any occasion and keep calm amidst it. Through meditation you can enhance your resilience, your capacity and your ability to think clearly.
What can we do?
This current situation isn’t something we can run away from, it is our life. The only thing we can be certain of right now is that the current lockdown will continue for some time. So we can choose how we wish to show up each day over the next number of weeks and what practical things we want to do each day to support our own health and to help others.
I have taught people meditation for a number of years now and I hear common questions about obstacles to meditation – I’d like to share a few insights with you.
Common Questions
My mind is so busy I just can’t settle and meditate
I have news for you, everyone’s mind is busy. That is what minds are built for – to think and be busy and look out for us. This isn’t a hindrance to meditation and we’re not trying to empty the mind of thoughts – that’s a bit like saying we can stop getting older…. we can’t and we don’t want to stop our thoughts. So yes everyone can meditate.
I don’t know what meditation style to follow
There are many ways to meditate and you can place your attention on various objects like breathing, sounds, a candle, or you can count or recite a mantra. There’s no right or wrong and it’s a matter of finding a style that suits you. You can also use different objects on different days. Following the breath is the most universal and this is the style that I’ll teach over the free sessions.
Will meditation make me too relaxed so that I’m not motivated to do anything?
In fact meditation can help you to do the opposite. It’s helping to train the mind to focus on an object of awareness and this in turn helps us to know when our mind wanders. It can do wonders for our ability to focus on a job and not on distractions and to use our time more effectively.
How can I find time to meditate in my busy life?
Hopefully now many of you are at home or working from home this may be easier to find some time whether it’s 10 minutes or longer. Once you develop a routine it’s much easier to incorporate once our lives open up again. It really is a matter of prioritising our health above other things like netflix!
Can I meditate on a chair or lying down rather than sitting on a cushion cross legged?
Yes you can meditate sitting on the floor on a cushion or on a chair or even standing or walking meditation. Although you can meditate lying down this might be best to do as a relaxation before bed as you may well fall asleep.
Calm on
Spending time regularly sitting and being with ourselves and listening to ourselves is highly productive. If you would like some support in making meditation part of your daily routine I am offering a final meditation session this week. Simply sign up and we’ll send you a zoom link. I will lead some meditation sessions followed by a question and answer session. The session is 30 minutes and the date is Wednesday 6th May 2020 at 8.30am.
Gina Fox
Naturopath & Fertility Educator
Are you looking for support with your fertility, health, or mindset? You’re welcome to book in with Gina Fox.