My Five Meditation Tips
I can’t stress enough how much meditation has changed the game for me, the game being life, of course. I’ve always dealt with anxiety, depression, and stress to varying degrees (which I think most of us have) but since making meditation a regular part of my day-to-day, I feel just so much more in control of my perceptions, thoughts, mood, and reactions. I feel like what I’ve learned through meditation is that as much as anxiety or stress is a habit (it’s just a negative cycle of worrying or getting down on yourself), you can just as easily flip the switch and make this positive action a habit, creating a practice of slowing down, seeing the fleeting nature of thought cycles and bringing your mind, body, and spirit back down to a calm baseline.
I’ve been really lucky because I’ve always found meditation to be pretty easy—almost a relief for my busy mind if anything! So making it part of my day-to-day was something I was always really motivated to do because it feels so amazing for my mind and my body to take those 15 minutes each day.
I was inspired to share exactly how I go about it though because, for whatever reason, it’s come up a lot in chats with friends or at events the past little while. In particular, I kept hearing that people not only find meditation tricky but almost agonizing sometimes! So I figured I’d share how I’ve made it a truly positive experience every day, and most of all, how I’ve committed to it.
CREATE A SPACE
I mean, it’s not hard to convince most of us to make our spaces a bit prettier, right? So I approach it this way. I’ve created a pretty little area in my apartment that I meditate at every day, and that houses all the little things that help me get into a calm zone for meditation.
I like to meditate in the same spot at home or other places I often go to (the studio, my cabin, my parent’s house, etc)—even if I’m not at my apartment, I try to create that routine of doing this in the same area. I fluff up some pillows, make sure a cozy rug or blanket is on the ground so that I don’t get cold (and to keep my feet from falling asleep from the hard ground!) and make sure nothing will bother or distract me (dangling cords, outlets jutting into your back, etc).
SET THE TONE
When it’s time to meditate, I flick on my diffuser (I find the bubbling sound helps calm me), I fluff up my pillows and I grab a couple of crystals. Whether or not you believe in their healing benefits (I do, clearly!), I think they’re critical to meditation because as you’ll soon see, a big part of me settling into my meditation is bringing awareness to physical, tactile senses. There’s something about the ritual of holding these reassuring, smooth, cool crystals or gemstones in your palms that immediately sends a cue to your brain that it’s time to settle in for some headspace. So have fun with it! If you’re a skeptic about their healing benefits, by all means, go for ones you’d like to just have on display in your space.
But if you’re a believer, I really can’t stress enough that I feel different energies on different days so it’s worth finding which crystals will help you best for your specific needs. For example, if I need a bit more openness and love, I’ll pick up rose quartz and I can feel my energy change. In my head? Maybe. But it brings positivity to my whole physical/mental state, so I’m on board for anything that helps in that area!
I’m also a huge believer in the power of aromatherapy. As you guys might know, I love Saje Wellness—their products work so well for me across the board, from their Pain Release to their famed Peppermint Halo, which is the one thing that helps me with headaches. I love spritzing some Namaste (which I’d honestly love to just wear as a fragrance every day), taking a big inhale, and then I’m able to settle in.
