Over the years, many of you have read posts about my “New Years Resolutions”. It’s not uncommon for me to pick a habit that I want to solidify in my life, and then commit to a year of daily practice to incorporate it into my day to day activity. I’ve done it with exercise, eating fruits and vegetables, and gratitude, to name a few.
The idea of incorporating mediation into my routine has come up often, but the thought of sitting still and contemplating my navel always just made me cringe. Meditation just never made it to the top of the list despite an increasing stack of research that continues to prove the unbelievable value of doing it.
At the end of 2016, a year filled with upsets for many, the idea to re-center, focus on the good, and find some inner peace seemed like a good one. Mediation, it seemed, had finally made it to the top of list.
I’m now 30 days in to my 365 days of mediation, and my navel-gazing fears have vanished. Not only is it not as hard as I thought it would be, I’m turning my 10 minutes a day into 15 minutes for the next month.
I’m using a great tool to help: www.headspace.com. This online service is free for the first 10 days, and quite reasonable after that. Andy Puddicomb, the founder and “voice” of Headspace, has a very calm and soothing voice, and makes starting the process accessible and easy.
The Benefits
Meditation has become increasingly well-studied, with research linking it to better mood, heart health, focus, sleep and productivity, to name a few things–you can find links to numerous studies here.
But studies aside, do I feel any different?
Definitely. I feel like I’m having an easier time staying on task. I feel like I’m much less distracted in conversations. I feel like I can find words better, and see the solutions to problems faster. Those are all just feelings, mind you, but they’re enough to keep me going for the next 335 days. I’ll keep you posted!