Eat, Pray, Love & Meditation

The book/movie Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert (played by Julia Roberts in the movie) seems to be everywhere these days! I think someone is trying to tell me I need to read it (I won’t watch the movie until after I’ve read the book).

I’ve seen people reading this book in the park, talking about it on blogs, reading/discussing it at work and even referencing it in fitness articles.

So…I felt compelled to do a little research to see what it was all about and would like to comment on the piece of Gilbert’s life that centered around meditation.

Meditation has been (and still is) a very large part of my life and quieting my mind for meditation has been (and still is) the greatest challenge for me during meditation. I believe in the importance and with every attempt, I seem to get a little better, but I believe I will always be a work in progress on this part.

However, I do strive to feel balanced and so I continue to practice and, who knows, maybe one day I will be a pro.

Or will at least be better…

In any case, from a work in progress meditation student…here are the steps I use to get the most out of my sessions. Whether those sessions be five minutes or an hour, whether I’m doing it alone or with others in a yoga class or whether I’m actually focused today or I’m just pretending…

First of all, I find a comfortable place to sit (usually on a yoga mat) with either my eyes closed or focused on a specific peaceful focal point.

Next…I inhale very slowly (3 to 5 seconds) through my nose. My focus is on my breath…following it all the way through my nose and down as far as it goes.

Then I pause and being to exhale very, very slowly with the same level of focus as the inhale and I “watch” or visualize my anxieties floating with every exhale. Slowly sending them on their way.

**Yes…there is a temptation to breath faster to get them out of me faster, but slow and easy is the key…

I continue this for several minutes.

When my mind wanders (and it always does), I gently acknowledge the thought and I refocus on my breathing. As soon as the thought comes in, I give it a nod and bring my mind back to watching myself breathe out all of the problems of the day.

Once my breathing feels natural and I have exhaled the anxieties and have begun to feel the peaceful feelings of relaxation, I allow my mind to take me to a beautiful place (my place in on a quiet beach…yours can be wherever you feel most quieted). My place is filled with love and tenderness. I live in that place in my mind for as long as I can, feeling the breeze, listening to the ocean and the birds, feeling the warmth, swaying softly.

When my mind wanders, I acknowledge the thought with a nod and refocus my breathing before I go back to my place.

And live there for as long as I can.

A few notes:

- Some people find themselves concerned about time or how much time they’ve spent in their meditative state (worrying about what else they need to do and why they can’t meditate too long, etc). If this is you, you might try setting an alarm for the time when you need to stop. This way, you can trust the alarm to let you know when time is up.

- Always sit (never lay down) while meditating because you might fall asleep. And yes, although we do breath deeply and peacefully while asleep, it does not have the same emotional or physical benefits of meditation.

- I like to journal immediately after a meditation session. It helps me to journal from a place of balance, stillness and love. You might try this too. Some of the best journal entries I have follow some of the best meditation sessions I’ve had. You might also try to journal before and after meditation…it is a beautiful way to fully see the benefits of what those few minutes have done to your state of mind.

Tell me…

Do you meditate? Do you have techniques for making your sessions better and better all the time? Do you have ideas for me on how to continue to improve my own sessions?

I would love more than anything to hear your happy experiences!

Much Love,
Mercedes

PS: Yoga in the park with J tonight was absolutely fabulous!