My dad has gotten pretty big into the meditation game recently. Everyday, he sits, closes his eyes, breathes, and escapes. And he doesn’t hesitate to harp on me to give meditating a shot. I’ve always been interested in meditation, how it works, and the benefits it brings, but I’ve never able to turn it into a routine. Since I feel like the rewards of meditating can only truly be reaped with repetition, I decided to make a goal.
The Goal
Meditate every day during a stress-filled school week. Every day. Ten minutes. Just to slow down, take a breath (hopefully many breaths), and relaxxxxxx. And notice if I felt different after repeated days of meditating instead of just the fleeting calm after one quick session.
The Results
Monday:
I almost didn’t meditate this day just because the stress of the looming week ahead was getting to me. But then my roommate saved the day and mentioned listening to a guided 10-minute meditation as we were getting ready for bed that night. So, we both got into bed and listened to the slow, calming voice of the lady telling us that it okay to have a million thoughts while meditating, but the key is to try not to engage them.
My body felt super still when the 10 minutes were up, my limbs almost felt like they were floating off of my body. And the lady was right, I did have lots of thoughts about the most random of things. But I tried my best not to give in to them, and instead gave into the calming vibe overtaking me.
Tuesday:
This day I switched it up and tried meditating in the morning instead of when I’m at my sleepiest right before bed. I didn’t listen to a guided meditation, but rather just sat in silence. When the 10 minutes were up I couldn’t believe how fast it had gone. I really focused on just breathing and slowing everything down. I felt super light afterwards like I was ready to take on the day.
Wednesday:
Wednesday was rough. It definitely lived up to it’s hump day status. I slept past my alarm earlier in the day, so later on once I was caught up on time, I figured meditating would help me chill out. But honestly, I couldn’t get past my consuming thoughts of the things on my checklist for the day. I was feeling pretty defeated after this failed meditation session.
Thursday:
I was running low on time this day and was super busy. So, I decided to kill two birds with one stone and meditate in the shower. I know that sounds kind of crazy, but it totally worked! Only opening my eyes to make sure I wasn’t putting body wash in my hair, I turned by brain off and just soaked up the relaxation and escape I had while in the shower. I felt so at ease afterward and definitely want to incorporate this into my routine more often.
Friday:
It was beautiful out this day so as I was basking in the sun outside in some grass, I decided it was the perfect moment to meditate and end the week on a high note. I put on my noise canceling headphones with no music, and settled into the silence and sun. I just breathed deeply and decompressed. I felt like I had no worries, no place to be, and nothing else to be doing. It was amazing to notice how much easier meditating and turning off my thoughts had gotten after only a few days.
Goal accomplished. While I definitely had my ups and downs, meditation totally gave me an escape and sense of calm that only got stronger with more practice. For all my fellow stressed out collegiate friends, ten minutes is all you need