While I was on a break from blogging, I integrated meditation into my life.

Daily meditation forces you to:

• Stop
• Sit still
• Breathe
• Connect

Which in turn makes you:

• Aware
• Calmer
• Slower to react
• Quicker to bounce back

What I mean by “quicker to bounce back” is that when you do get upset, meditation can bring you back to emotional balance. It reminds you that even when life is kicking your ass, you still have two things:

• Plenty to be grateful for
• A Higher Power that loves you

And even if you don’t believe in a Higher Power, believe that you have family and friends who love you.

I’ve taught yoga for 19 years and always dismissed meditation. I thought asana (the poses) and pranayama (deep concentrated breathing) was enough. They are not enough. Stopping amid life’s “daily-ness” and “busyness” is crucial for good mental health. I’ve even got my kids doing daily meditation.

Everyone thinks they are too busy to meditate, so I’ll share short guided meditations I’ve found on YouTube.

The easiest way to start: Go to YouTube and type “guided meditation 5 minutes.” A list of videos will come up. Pick whatever speaks to you.

My children and I do a 5-minute meditation together before they leave for school. I let them pick one. (And yes, they only do it because I make them. They have learned how to sit still with eyes closed for 5-minutes. That alone is a victory.) Below is a favorite from Honest Guys. Definitely check out their channel.

After the kids leave for school, I do a 10-15 minute meditation by myself. My two favorites are anything from the YouTube channels Great Meditation (10-20 minutes long) or Vipassana Meditation (15-60 minutes long). Vipassana meditation, also called Insight meditation, asks you to notice your thoughts, feelings, and sensations without judgement.

Me and the kids do a second 5-minute meditation together after they arrive home from school.

At bedtime, they listen to a sleep meditation. There’s also hundreds to choose from on YouTube. Lengths can be anywhere from 10 minutes to 11 hours. Some channels play live music 24 hours a day. Some are guided meditations. Some are music only. There’s enough variety for everyone. I choose 1-3 hours in length for the kids. My sleep meditations are 30 minutes to an hour. My favorites are Honest Guys and Jason Stephenson.

Let me know if these suggestions are helpful. Meditation was the missing piece from my life.

Love,

Althea