May 21st was World Meditation Day, a day to not only practice meditation, but to educate and spread awareness about it. As a busy mom you may be thinking, “that’s nice, but I don’t have the time to meditate”. This is a common misconception about meditation, but the truth is that it doesn’t have to take a lot of time. As a fellow busy mama, practicing meditation has been my saving grace in more instances than I can count. In this blog, I will be sharing some ways for you to create space for meditation in your busy day.
By: Nicki Reid, Bilingual BA
So why meditate? Before I answer that, let’s establish what meditation is. According to Psychology Today, meditation is a mental exercise that trains attention and awareness. People meditate for a variety of reasons as there are many benefits to meditation, some of them include: reduces stress and anxiety, improves symptoms of depression, enhances self awareness, lengthens one’s attention span, improves sleep, and more. In addition, there are several different types of meditation one can practice such as: Vipassana, Loving-Kindness or Metta, Transcendental, Mantra, Mindfulness, and more. While I appreciate them all, practicing mindfulness has been a game changer for me. Mindfulness is being aware of the present moment without judgment. One of the reasons why I love to meditate, especially when it comes to practicing mindfulness meditation is because it is accessible. It is something that you can do anywhere and at any time.
The other day I was washing fruit for my family and I, strawberries to be exact and I remember feeling a little frazzled. In that moment, I took a deep breath, I acknowledged how I was feeling and I decided to tune into the present moment. As I was washing the strawberries, I observed their color and texture. I became aware of the sound, color, and temperature of the (running) water. After I was done washing the strawberries and before taking a bite, I noticed its smell and taste. Engaging in that practice helped me to feel more calm and less frazzled because I physically and mentally slowed down. I was also able to enjoy the strawberries more by savoring the experience as opposed to hurriedly eating them for the sake of eating them. Another way that I incorporate mindfulness in my day is via walking meditation. As I am on my walk, I am observing my surroundings and engaging my senses. I am being intentionally aware of the things I see (the colors, people, cars, buildings, animals, plants, etc. in my environment), hear (people, animals, vehicles), can feel (how my clothes feel against my body and my shoes against my feet with every step that I take), smell (the various scents and aromas from plants to people cooking, fragrances, and odors, etc).
My invitation to you is to carve out a few moments to check in with yourself to see how you’re doing and what you are needing. You don’t necessarily have to feel distressed to practice mindfulness. I invite you to practice even if you are feeling neutral or good, you can use this as an opportunity to practice gratitude for the present moment and your breath.
Now you try. In each of the following scenarios, engage your 5 senses. Pay attention to what you see, hear, smell, taste, and feel. Practice mindfulness:
In the shower; an example of engaging your senses during your shower may look like
See: What is the color of your bath tiles? What about your washcloth, body wash, shampoo, etc.?
Hear: What do you hear? What does the water sound like? What other sounds do you hear?
Smell: Are there any smells, maybe your body wash, shampoo, or natural body odor?
Feel: How does the water feel on your body? How does the item you use to wash your body feel like? What is its texture?
Remember, as you’re going through this practice, be in the present moment without judgment.
While (driving) on the road. If you’re listening to music, you have the option to turn the music down, off, or leave it on and allow it to be a part of your meditation. In addition to observing what you’re seeing, hearing, smelling, and feeling - are you eating or drinking anything? If so, what is its taste, temperature, texture, etc.?
While your kids are interacting with one another and allow that to be what you meditate upon. What do you see? Acknowledge that you can hear them. Are there any smells present? Observe how you’re feeling. Pay attention to your heart beat and your breath. Is your heart beating fast? Are your breaths short and shallow? Are they long and deep? Or are they somewhere in between?
These are only a few examples of how to incorporate mindfulness meditation into your daily life. Get curious, creative, and enjoy your practice! Always remember to breathe and release any judgment that may arise. Allow those thoughts to float through your mind like clouds in the sky.
