Meditation: Love it or Leave it?

Recently we posted a Wellness Wednesday that referred to the benefits of meditation. I thought it might be a good idea to address my thoughts on meditation right off the bat.  

I don’t like it. I might even hate it. I can’t seem to do it! My husband would tell me that I just need to practice more. I’m sure he’s right; but I don’t WANT to. That would take a lot of time and effort and may even cause me more of the stress I’m trying to eliminate in the first place.  

 That said, when I have tried, I’ve had some limited success. For me, success means that when I close my eyes and practice a short, specific visualization, I find some peace and calm. This begins with imagining myself at the top of a circular staircase that is literally covered with purple, velvety, pillowy material on the steps and sides. I slowly descend the staircase, one step at a time, and focusing on how the velvet feels on my hands on the railing and how soft the steps are on my feet. When I reach the bottom, I’m in a small, circular room that’s covered with this same purple velvety material and a circular couch all along the walls of the room (I’m pretty sure that’s residual “I Dream of Jeannie” memories). I sink into the couch and it envelops me. What happens next depends on how long I can focus on just being in this space. Sometimes, I get to the bottom and that’s the end of it; sometimes I can sit there for a minute or two. I’m content with this limited practice. I know that I could spend the time and effort to lengthen it, and maybe someday I will. But for right now, this is enough. I haven’t found the serene lost-in-your-own-head state that expert meditators achieve, but that’s ok with me. If I really want to practice, I do this and feel good about the “success” I do have – even if it’s not the same definition of success that someone else achieves. And isn’t that what it’s all about?  

Energetically yours,