Sometimes,
We have a block on the idea of meditation,
Or the idea that it can work for us.
Sometimes we hear people tell us what meditation's done for them,
And it seems too good to be true,
Or like something that doesn't fit into our lives or our belief systems.
Sometimes we feel like meditation has to be an experience that fundamentally changes us,
Or we're doing it wrong.
Sometimes we are not in a place where our bodies can be still,
Like we've heard meditation demands.
If you're experiencing any of these things,
Or any number of other things that feel like they're keeping meditation from being accessible to you,
First,
Honor those experiences.
Accept that this is what is happening for you.
Accepting that truth,
Even if it's a truth we dislike,
Lets us move on to the next question,
Which is,
What now?
Given where you are,
And what is happening for you,
What are you going to do now?
Here's one thing you can do.
First,
Don't think of this as a meditation.
Maybe just taking the label away helps.
This is just chill time with yourself.
You time.
Time to decompress so you can start to heal a little before you continue your day.
Here's another thing you can do.
Make sure your body is comfortable.
This is you time,
So you make it what you need it to be.
If you need to move right now,
Try moving with purpose,
With intention,
And with softness within your space.
If you need to lie down,
Lie down and get comfy.
Embrace it,
And honor yourself here.
If you prefer to sit,
Feel out how you can support yourself and really show yourself some love within that sitting position.
Once you know how your physical self needs to be in this moment,
Here's another thing you can do.
For some of us,
The breath holds dangerous memories.
If your breath is a safe place for you,
What happens if you bring a little of your attention to your breath and just think,
Chill?
If your breath is not a safe place,
Focus on some part of your body or something in your immediate space or even in your mind that feels safe,
That feels like home.
This will be your anchor.
Once you have your anchor,
Think,
Chill.
You don't have to notice anything specific happening as you direct some focus to chill.
Just by slowing down,
By focusing on a safety anchor,
The chill will take care of itself.
Chill is pretty awesome like that.
Sometimes it helps encourage chill if we count our breaths,
Like counting sheep to fall asleep,
But with much less visual effort for your mind.
If your breath is not your anchor,
Focus on whatever your anchor is,
Count along anyway,
And see how that feels.
Breathe in,
And then on your exhale,
Count one.
Breathe in,
Exhale two.
Breathe in,
Exhale three.
Breathe in,
Exhale four.
Breathe in,
Exhale five.
You might start to notice your breaths becoming slower,
Longer,
And deeper.
If you don't notice this happening,
It doesn't mean you're doing anything wrong.
You're exactly where you need to be,
Doing everything exactly right,
And just taking some time for yourself.
Now back to the count.
Breathe in,
Exhale six.
Breathe in,
Exhale seven.
Breathe in,
Exhale eight.
Breathe in,
Exhale nine.
Breathe in,
Exhale ten.
At this point,
It's not unusual to notice a deeper feeling of chill in your body.
Sometimes it also helps encourage chill if we stop listening so hard,
If we let ourselves hear instead of listen when we're quietening our minds.
You've been listening to me for a few minutes now,
So I'm going to join you in some quiet,
And we'll just hear the music for a bit.
Let your mind drift to wherever it wants to go as you hear the music,
And see how that feels.
It's amazing.
You you you How did that feel?
This is your time so make it your own Did the counting feel better?
Or did the time with just the music feel better?
Maybe neither of them really encouraged chill and that's okay One of the beautiful things about making this time your own is that you have complete control over what you do with it If what works for others doesn't work for you do something else and When you find something that clicks Embrace that chill
