You probably feel like you should meditate, but do you skip it because it’s just too hard? Who can sit still for 5 minutes, let alone 20 or 30? I get it because I used to struggle meditating as well. I have found ways to make it easier, so I want to share them with you.
You too can meditate, I swear!
First off, throw all the rules out the door! You don’t have to sit in an uncomfortable, knee-damaging pose. Heck, you don’t even have to sit at all. Make it easy on yourself, lie down. Ooh, I can just hear the serious meditators freaking out right now, but seriously who ever said the only way to go inside, still your mind, or connect to the cosmos is by sitting? That is just plain silly! You don’t need a special cushion, outfit, candle, music, crystal or altar to meditate.
Get comfortable and you’ll be able to focus internally for longer because your knees, back, or neck aren’t hurting, taking your focus away from the whole reason you’re meditating in the first place.
Guess what else?
There is no set amount of time you have to meditate for either. If you can only bear five minutes, go for it, and be proud of yourself for doing it. Do that five minutes consistently, nearly every day, and you will reap benefits. Who knows, a few weeks from now, you might shock yourself and go ten minutes. Congratulations!
Consistency is the key here, not the time length.
Sometimes I can go deep in a few minutes and others I just wander around my to do list for a whole 30 minutes. Which is better? Getting deep, of course, but regular practice is the key that gets me there. Point being, even scrolling through my grocery list distractedly is still good practice.
Now, that we’ve dispensed with the erroneous “laws” of meditation, what can you do? You can lie down, walk, dance or sit. You can sit in a cozy chair, lie down on a comfy bed, lay in a hammock, lean against a tree, float in the pool, or sit on a chairlift.
All you need is the ability to be comfortable, quiet your mind, and not pay attention to anything but yourself. I don’t recommend driving, but other than that you are pretty good to go. Make up your own damn rules! It’s your meditation! Whatever gets your mind to slow down, brings you into your body, and connects you to the greater energies around you is a WIN!
My favorite meditation hack? Use essential oils. I find essential oils help me drop in, ground into the earth, and expand my consciousness quickly, much more so than when I don’t use them. Some of my favorites are any tree essence like Spruce, Pine, Fir, Cedarwood, Cypress, or Frankincense. I especially love two essential oils from Native American ceremonial plants: White Sage and Sagebrush.
Since there aren’t any more meditation rules, you can use any dang essential oil that calls to you. As a bonus, you’ll get way more connected to that essence, the plant it comes from, and probably learn a bunch about how it can help you and your health along the meditation way too.
Making a spiritual connection for yourself is an integral part of holistic healing.
Remember the three legs of holistic health are physical, mental or emotional, and spiritual. Many of us skip one or two of those legs. It’s not easy to dive into the emotional components behind what’s ailing us, and it can be even harder to practice the spiritual connection that can literally heal the other two. But, it’s super important! So try these easier ways to meditate and turn the “should” into something you’re doing regularly and getting off on!