I remember my first meditative experience. It was my senior year of college. I had two thesis to write on top of a normal course load. I was drowning in deadlines to the extent that I could barely focus on even the most trivial of responsibilities. Through various books and blogs, I read about the benefits to be gained from routine meditation practice (stress reduction being of most interest). With very little to lose and everything to gain, I decided to give it a shot. I sat on my bed and listened to this video. Since then, my life has never been the same since.

Overcoming initial stigma

There’s definitely a stigma to “meditation”. Unfortunately, it gets roped in with new age spiritual fluff that you might find on a yoga retreat to Bali à la Eat Pray Love (no offense to EPL fans). That said, the actual practice of meditation is thousands of years old. Instead, I look at meditation like any other physical exercise.

The best way I can describe the feeling of meditating is to imagine you’re so relaxed and focused on the present moment that your thoughts pass by like clouds in the sky. Instead of your normal knee-jerk reactions, a meditative mind just watches thoughts objectively. There are many methods to achieve this state, but perhaps the most approachable is by simply watching your breath. In breath. Out breath, etc.

How It helps me?

Here are some of the benefits I've noticed: reduced stress, increased focus, more creativity, better confidence, and overall improved awareness. Additionally, I find I'm less reactive to sources of discomfort and stress than I was previously. Need further convincing? Research by Havard neuroscientists suggests that eight weeks of daily meditation can rebuild the brain’s grey matter.

Above all else, meditation has afforded me the priceless gift of perspective. When you’re able to see yourself and the world around you from more than one angle, you notice details you’ve never appreciated before. It’s with this heightened clarity that I’m able to focus my energy into achieving my goals.

What’s my current routine?

Today, I try (keyword) to maintain a 10-minute daily meditation practice. It's nothing fancy. I sit up, usually on my bed or cushion with my back straight against the wall, eyes closed, dim lights, and play calm music. Some days I listen to the guided meditations on calm.com, others I just enjoy focusing on my own thoughts. I try to do this directly after waking up, after a jog, or late in the evening as part of winding down before bed.

If you’re just starting, ten minutes might feel too long to start. Instead, experiment with different times, music, and guided meditations, to find whatever works best for you. And to help you keep the habit, I recommend using an app such as Coach.me to track the days.

In the years since my near stress-induced breakdown in college, I’ve definitely found meditation to be a helpful practice in my life. I no longer view it with the stigma of other new age woo-woo and find great joy and fulfillment taking some solitary time to reflect and learn about myself by observing my thoughts.

If you’ve never tried, I highly recommend it at least once or twice before you decide if it’s right for you. If you’re curious to learn more about my routine, please reach out via email, or leave me a message in the comments below.