Benefits of Meditation | Mind Body

I never.ever.ever.ever.ever. thought I’d ever meditate. EVER. Honestly. I grew up in a home where the word meditation wasn’t even spoken about- I didn’t even know what meditation was until I was 30. Yes. I’m serious. When I lost hope in Western Medicine and started healing through Integrative Medicine, my M.D.’s would always ask me if I meditated. I’d shake my head and laugh…I didn’t have time for that. Who did?

Turns out a lot of people do and now I do. It took me MANY years and I didn’t force it but the summer of 2012 was rough for me and I was in a lot of pain with my Lyme Disease and Biofilm die-off. I started taking daily baths and closing my eyes to rest. It was amazing. Before I knew it, I was looking forward to my bath every single day – not just for the warm water- but for the quiet. The peace. The alone time. I loved it. And from there- my meditation blossomed. I’ve listened to many meditation tapes and read many books but until you are ready- you’re not ready. I wasn’t ready in my 20’s. I wasn’t. But now I am- how did it happen? Well, I started doing the work and working on myself and self-love and journaling and mind-body connection. Ya see- we could eat all the kale in the world- and I was – but we’ll still be sick because our mind isn’t healthy and we’re not allowing our body to rest. Trust me, when I worked at VOGUE and Ralph Lauren and the NBA, I would have laughed if you asked me to meditate – but once I got out of that crazy world- it took me over 3 years to stop, be still and do the work.

So many of my clients ask me, “Where Do I Begin?” They want to meditate but they don’t know how or where to start. So, I’ve put together a few tips to help you in your journey to mind-body and I hope you find them helpful.

Meditation is like magic. It relaxes you and calms your mind. Start by simply closing your eyes and trying to slowly toss away all the thoughts that come into your mind. Maybe you’re thinking about your laundry or the food store or the errand you have to run or a deadline for work……TOSS all of that. Watch the thought escape your mind and rise above and out of you into a cloud….then see the cloud float away. Do this for all of your thoughts and any new thoughts that come into your mind. I like to have quiet music playing while I meditate and I listen to Satnum Kaur because I like the soft tone- it helps relax me.

Don’t be hard on yourself about getting meditation right or wrong. In our crazy over-stimulated lives, simply spending 20 minutes a day sitting still and paying attention to your breath without the interruption of thoughts is incredibly beneficial to your health. Another tip that I learned from one of my amazing doctors is to breathe with your belly-not your lungs. Watch your belly go in and out. Don’t let your chest rise or fill your lungs with air when you breathe- instead fill your belly with the air-this in and of itself is incredibly helpful and does wonders for your immune system that are way too complicated to get into here…but trust me.

So, go light a non-toxic Beeswax candle, dim your lights, turn on soft music and sit. Feel your breath. Witness your thoughts and release them into the clouds and enjoy your 20 minutes of peace.

Then, go about your day and be grateful for all you have and all you are.

xox