Ommmmmmmmm!

Are you feeling tired, low energy, bloated, stomach aches, irritable? Then you may need a life lift. I have been writing for a few weeks now and I hope that the things I write have helped you in some way. I am not an "expert" per se but I know I went through my own lift and feel better in my 30's than I ever did in my 20's. That has to count for something. Even just getting new ideas to incorporate into your own life can be helpful but trying to do everything right immediately can cause more stress. So how do you find the way? How to you lift your life in a way that doesn't add additional stress? Those baby steps I have talked about before. 

We can all start with the power of positive thinking. You have to think you can be and live a certain way before you can take the steps to achieve it. When you think of what our subconscious mind is capable of when we are at rest it really does help you to understand that there is so much more going on than many of us allow ourselves to see. Open your mind. Even if you aren't spiritual then meditation and deep breathing and just thinking in a positive way can manifest itself into good energy and feeling more hopeful. Prayer is a form of meditation. It has a calming effect when things are in chaos all around me. Even when my boys are testing me left and right, I pray for patience and help to raise them to be good, kind, and successful men and it does help. Even when I'm out hiking, breathing in the fresh air and hearing the water and just get away from the hustle and bustle it clears the mind and is so calming. 

I would recommend everyone incorporate some form of meditation into your life. I think if every person did we would evolve into a more mindful, happier and enlightened people. Life is hard, it's stressful, it's busy, it's worrisome. And focusing on that 24/7 just isn't healthy for anyone and is certainly not going to help you feel more energetic or hopeful or feel confident that you can get something done. 

There are different forms of meditation. 

The first is: Still or Mindful Meditation. This is focusing on an object or something such as breathing, a visualization, music. You keep your focus on that particular object or process but you are aware of what is happening around you or in your own mind.  

There is also Moving or Walking Meditation. This is what I like to do when out hiking or walking in a park or by the water. Tai Chi and Yoga are other forms. 

The 3rd is Concentration Meditation which is used by religions across the world and you do close out the world around you and focus on a specific prayer. 

If you are just starting out you can read or Google specific ideas on how to begin. But to make it very simple and not complicated just try this: Find a place. It could be your back porch, a bench in a nearby park, the beach, even your own bed. Just try to make sure whatever place you pick is clean and clutter free if at all possible. Clutter has the opposite effect of calm. Then find a comfortable position. There are fancy schmancy names for positions in meditation but who needs things to be more complicated than they need to be? Sitting cross-legged is fine. Or sit on a chair if sitting cross-legged on the floor or bed is not comfortable. Now clear your mind, loosen up and take several calming, deep-breaths. And then sit and let it begin. It doesn't mean not thinking. It means letting the thoughts float through your mind but don't engage in them. Observe them, don't engage. If something makes you feel annoyed or restless then you are engaging in it. Observing it almost as an audience not participating is what you are looking for. Let the thought go through your mind and let it leave. At the end of the meditation, slowly allow your body and mind to come out of it. Ease out. Start with being more aware of your surroundings and allowing outside noises or scents to be more conscious. Then allow yourself to be aware of your own body. You don't need to jump to your feet and go about your day. If you can sit and enjoy the calm for a few minutes, by all means do. 

I guarantee if you incorporate this into your life you will feel calmer and more peaceful. So many of our worries are about things that are out of our control and haven't happened yet or things that really are inconveniences and are not the end of the world it feels like in the heat of the moment. Meditation allows us to be more mindful of the present and to breathe and calm ourselves despite the chaos around us. How can that ever be a bad thing? 

"Life does not have to be perfect to be wonderful" - Anette Funicello

Have a blessed day! xoxoxo

Tami