Why You Should Begin a Daily Meditation Practice
by Dina Strada
If you’re like most people with crazy, hectic lives, finding time to meditate can seem almost impossible. With a full-time job, a daily two-hour commute and two small children meditation can sometimes feel like one more thing I have to check off my to-do list. But the truth is, it’s not a “to do” anymore. It’s become a daily practice that helps me connect to my intuition and talk to my Spirit Guides.
People think that meditating is just sitting quietly chanting “om” with no thoughts going through your head. But it’s actually the opposite. It’s a journey into your own heart. It’s a place to sit in silence and listen to what’s really there. It’s an opportunity to practice stillness and get in touch with our bodies and minds.
Meditation is one of the best ways to connect and get direct guidance from our Spirit Guides. We think all the answers to the questions we have about our lives lay outside of us. We ask friends what we should do. Maybe we seek the guidance of an Intuitive or psychic to ask what we should do. But rarely do we take the time to ask ourselves what to do.
The truth is, all the answers are inside of us when we get still. This is the purpose of a meditation practice. It enables us to develop a deeper awareness and notice what’s there. Sometimes after meditating for a few minutes, our minds will wander and we’ll insist “I can’t turn my mind off and stop thinking!”
Well, we’re not supposed to stop thinking. That’s like asking the body to stop breathing. The objective is to be aware of the mind while it’s active. Awareness doesn’t change facts, but it stops us from becoming attached to them.
Notice the level of awareness when you first get up from your bed, mat or cushion after meditating. You’ll notice that you’re more mindful of every move—the feeling in your legs as you stand up, the way your body feels when you walk, how a glass of water feels against your throat. Slowly, this awareness expands into our entire day. We become mindful of our actions, speech, and decisions.
Developing Our Intuition
The mind can often block our inner voice or what I refer to as our intuition, from speaking to us. Our intuition strengthens when the chaotic energy of the mind decreases. Whereas our mind speaks to us through running thoughts and not all of them healthy ones, intuition speaks out of a place of silence, which resides within us.
Meditation can help soften and release the unhealthy patterns of our minds. It doesn’t stop us from ever having those thoughts, but it teaches us to accept our thoughts without judgement. And when we’re less with our thoughts, the voice of our intuition or our inner “knowing” becomes louder.
HOW TO BEGIN A MEDITATION PRACTICE:
- Begin by setting aside 15-30 minutes a day when you’ll be uninterrupted. If you can’t find that much time, you can start with just 5 minutes a day and work up to longer.
- Create an altar with sacred objects that are special to you. I like to use crystals, sage, essential oils and a deck of oracle cards to sit in front of or lay beside.
- Set an intention. “Today I want clarity around where I should focus my energy this week.” Or “What do I need to do to move past this emotional pain I’m in?”
- Get still and focus on your breath. LISTEN to the thoughts that come up. There will be the desire to tell yourself that what you’re hearing is all just your head telling you what you want to hear. Honor the information you’re hearing and trust it. Use binaural beats to help enhance your experience.
- If you receive any information that’s unclear or doesn’t make sense, ask for clarification. “Spirit, tell me more about that.” Or “I don’t like what I’m hearing. Why are you telling me this?” Spirit only gives us what is important to know.
- When you feel complete, give yourself a few more minutes to ground and get back into your body before getting up. Then jot down what you received in a notebook or journal so you can refer back to it later.
The benefits of meditation accrue gradually. It’s a fitness regime for our minds, hearts and souls. And just like physical fitness activities, we will feel minimal benefits right off and maximum benefits when it becomes a continual and regular activity.
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Dina Strada is a freelance writer and Life Coach whose work has appeared in Huff Post, elephant journal, Medium, Thrive Global, Chopra, Mind Body Green and various other online publications. Read more of her work at www.dinastrada.com.
