Meditation made easy

The act of meditating brings to mind images of solemn monks sitting cross-legged for endless moments establishing the most peaceful mental state and physical ease. "No way I can do that" you may have said to yourself. "I can't sit still," "What's the point?" "My mind is all over the place." If any of this resonates with you, you are not alone and I had all of those thoughts and more when I first began this practice. Notice how I refer to meditating as a "practice." It is something that requires practice and training. We train our brains during meditation. Train ourselves to become comfortable with quiet and stillness. Train ourselves to observe thoughts without running off with them down a rabbit hole. Yes, your brain will generate thoughts when you're sitting and that is OK! The challenge comes with trying to remain focused on your breath and just let the thoughts pass or dissolve. It is quite a task in the beginning. The process of simply watching your breath can prove to be challenging as it is not something we do each day. I usually have beginners set a timer for a very short time, say, 2 minutes. Just sit comfortably in a chair or on a couch ( you do not have to sit on the floor cross-legged)! For those 2 minutes just pay close attention to only the sound and feeling of breath as you inhale and exhale. If 2 minutes proves to be impossible, shorten the time. We all start in different places. If sitting causes your body to fidget, lie down. Meditating, as a beginner, doesn't have to look a particular way or accomplish any goal. It is as simple and sitting and breathing, and nothing more, The why??? To bring about a sense of peace, mental clarity, ease in the body, relieve anxious thinking, to bring about joy and a sense of gratitude. All this in 2 minutes?? Well maybe not all of it. I promise, the longer you practice, the greater the benefit. Your breath is with you all the time so it is the simplest and most accessible way to anchor your mind. Join me on Sunday evenings for meditation class and begin your journey. As always, feel free to leave me a question or comment or share your meditation experiences. I would love to hear from you!