Happy Mindful May to you! In light of my birthday month and my quest to be more mindful, I will be posting every Friday, reflecting on a mindful habit I performed every day that week. Defining mindfulness has always been a tough one. I can explain it best as the idea of staying aware and being in the present moment, giving yourself the peace of not worrying about the past or future. Enjoy my mini-reflections, and make sure to come back each week in May for more!
Week One: Longer Meditation Sessions
When I began to meditate, my one big thing was the fear of being alone with my thoughts. I just did not want to know what could possibly happen if I sat still and had to address things that I didn’t want to. Naturally, I started off my guided meditation sessions with the shortest time possible: ten minutes. I’d been meditating for ten minutes every day since I started in January, this week I tried something a little different.
First off, I had begun to notice that meditating for only ten minutes had become less and less fulfilling over time. With my initial 15 minute session, I instantly felt like I had gotten the chance to deepen my practice and become more immersed in the meditation. It was when I hit 20 minutes, however, that I really saw a difference. Some sessions were easier than others, like usual. What I did notice was how grounded I felt in the present and my increased ability to focus.
Meditation has become my number one way to bring myself into the present moment. Technically, our bodies are always in the present moment. It’s the mind that often tends to wander into the past or future. Through the breath, I’m able to calm my system and bring my mind to a place of peace and content. 20 minute sessions truly allowed me to find my presence in the most complicated of situations, and believe me, there were a lot this week. I noticed the biggest change in how I handled these situations. I was able to remain calm, evaluate my emotions better, and come to a resolution for myself faster. I believe that because I took the time to meditate between 15 and 20 minutes every day, I got through this week still feeling pretty optimistic. If you’re thinking of taking that leap to longer meditation sessions, I say DO IT!
That’s Week One in the books (and 17 days until my 21st birthday!!). See you next time!
Looking for more Mindful May? Look no further.