Recently I was asked why Meditation has become part of my personal self-care. What a great question! Meditation is something we might have recommended to us but is still a bit of a mystery, so I hope sharing some of my journey resonates with you to allay your fears.
I am a chronic over-thinker, worrier and the teller of unhelpful stories in my head…or at least I was before I began regular meditation practice in around 2014! Growing up in a family of introverts, I found it very difficult to find my ‘outer voice’ and speak my truth, despite the constant soundtrack in my head! This manifested in worries, over-analysis of conversations, chronic people-pleasing and always seeking external validation.
I began meditation classes in 2014 after becoming more aware, in a busy family and work life, that my needs were not being met. I felt stressed, dejected and invisible in my own world, making daily decisions based on other people’s needs, at the expense of myself and my health. I struggled to sleep, could not manage my weight and compulsively used unhelpful crutches to both soothe and punish myself.
Meditation has brought me a new sense of self-awareness; one I continue to develop. Initially I struggled to calm my inner critic and constant chatter and, as a scientist, still over-analysed every experience! Through gentle guidance from my teacher and adopting a regular practice, I found my world slowing down, and my chatter becoming more of a recognisable entity rather than a constant distraction.I have become far more aware of the patterns of repeated behaviours I fall into. My meditation experiences now relate to my growing knowledge and understanding of the way the brain and subconscious mind work, the role of my ego in protection.
Whilst I still rarely fall straight into a peaceful, meditative state, even now, I have become friends with the internal chatter, recognising it as a sorting and settling exercise rather than feeling tormented, frustrated and worried by my internal dialogue. I can recognise it as a ‘message’, but not one I must pay immediate attention to, almost asking it to wait, and setting it aside. This is incredibly helpful in improving my concentration and focus which were previously hampered by doubts, worries and fears of getting distracted and losing my train of thought – not helpful for a teacher, trainer and public speaker!
The simple meditations I have learned have proven very useful in helping me unwind at the end of a busy day. As a single parent then, I did not always have someone to offload my day to, so I struggled to get to sleep and when I did, it was often disrupted as my grieving brain attempted to file the day’s experiences amongst the other intense, mentally draining decisions in life. Adopting visualisations of release and using phrases such as ‘Let it Go’ or ‘Let it Be’ in particular really helped me disconnect from the day and find a more restful, relaxed state for better sleep.
The greatest impact on my wellbeing has been the ability to stop and choose what I really need at any given moment in time. By observing where I am, how I feel in the moment and truly ‘tuning in’, I tap into the real things that will top up my soul or revive my spirits rather than using unhelpful and sometimes harmful crutches to fill that gap.
We have AMAZING practitioners and referral partners both locally and nationally to help you on a similar path.
Find them in our Wellbeing Directory Referral Partner section here : https://www.tipthebalance.life/wellbeing-directory/referral-partners/