observations from meditation
Meditation has become an important part of aligning my spirit, mind, and body; it has also become an important part of these Daily Notes.
As 2024 was coming to an end, I decided that I was going to get back to meditating each morning–I had gotten my Self in such good alignment that I didn’t feel the need to meditate each morning; sometimes, I’d meditate later in the day, and if I’m being honest, a little relaxed discipline sometimes made it difficult to fit my morning meditation in.
I’m about two weeks in now to my refocused morning meditation, I’ve committed to 30 days in January for my Commit30 Planner, and I’ve noticed a few things I thought I’d share for those just beginning to design their own meditation rituals and practices;
It’s taking about 15 minutes to settle in.
When I restarted my morning meditation ritual, I started with 15 minutes because I wasn’t in the easiest location, at our resort’s beach in Jamaica while the morning crew set up. It was difficult to not be distracted. I wanted to start with a time long enough to feel like I accomplished something, give my Self a chance to drop into a quiet state, and also be able to get out of their way. So I chose 15 minutes and carried that home in the New Year. I’ve noticed that right around the time the gong goes off on my timer, I’ve been in a quiet state for a minute or less—I’ve even sat in meditation a little longer, but since my routine has my meditation ending when it’s time for me to get Silas up for the morning, I can’t enjoy the quiet as much as I’d like.
So what’s going on in the first 13-14 minutes? I intentionally focus on my breath the first few minutes to keep the thoughts away, but eventually, something creeps in–usually something I need to do for the day. Once I recognize that I’m thinking, I make a mental note and focus back on my breath. I completed Transcendental Meditation training a couple of summers, and sometimes I’ll use my “word” to focus as well.
One cool thing about my TM practice is that in the past when I was focusing on the TM approach, I would notice I was thinking very hard about my “word,” and it was like the word was in front of my mind–it would become a distraction. But now, when I do fall back on TM, my focus on my word is not as strong, and it almost seems like it is in the back of my mind, which is how it is supposed to be—that probably doesn’t make any sense if you’re not familiar with Transcendental Meditation, but it was a cool achievement for me that occurred just in the last couple of weeks.
Ok, back to my current daily practice…as thoughts come up, I continue to note and get back to my breath. I’ll get moments of quiet and stillness, but something new will come. I wonder if part of the reason for such a busy mind is that my meditation is the first thing I do in the morning—I literally get up, go to the bathroom, take a quick sip of water, and head down to the living room to sit down and meditate. I’m curious if I got up early, allowed my mind to think about the day, and then sat down to meditate if I’d get to stillness faster. I’m considering getting up earlier to test my theory, but in the meantime, I’ve shifted my meditation time from 15 to 20 minutes to allow for more time in quiet and stillness. I’m also considering setting aside time for a second meditation later in the morning to see if I can drop into quiet faster.
At some point during my morning meditation, I receive the idea or topic for the Daily Note; sometimes, it comes as a word or thought that pops up, and sometimes, it’s a visual, which is usually abstract, that generates the idea.
I share all of this because one of the experiences that caused me to bail on meditation in the past was that my mind would never get quiet–I thought I was supposed to drop into stillness immediately. While going through Transcendental Meditation training, I learned that it is perfectly okay and expected to have thoughts arise—that is a part of meditation…that is meditation. That information was a game-changer for me. If you struggle to get quiet in your mind, don’t give up—recognize you’re thinking, make a mental note, and then get back to whatever you are doing to center your Self. Eventually, your mind will quiet because all the thoughts are gone, and if you find that one session it was non-stop thinking, that’s okay.
I’ve started to prefer sitting crossed legs, not feet on the ground.
I used to always sit straight up with my feet on the ground; however, I’ve begun crossing my legs more, and I have found that to be much more comfortable. Nothing groundbreaking here, but it's something I’ve noticed. If you struggle to stay comfortable with your meditation practice, try different ways to find comfort.
When my mind hits “quiet,” it comes out of nowhere.
When my mind gets quiet and I drop into stillness, it happens without me knowing it. I’ll notice some time in. I don’t know how long, that my mind is quiet, and thankfully, noticing that doesn’t bring in new thoughts. It allows me to drop further into the quiet, which is a peaceful place to be, and why I’ve increased my sitting time to 20 minutes—selfishly, I want to be there longer. I love this moment in my meditation and I’m hoping the more I practice, the sooner I get there.
My morning meditation is having a positive impact on my “patience” focus.
I can’t prove this, but I have noticed my “patience” more throughout the day, and it usually shows up in extreme moments of presence. Multiple times in the last couple of weeks, I’ve witnessed my presence through stronger connections with the people I’m with—it’s part of an internal feeling but also an external feeling of observation of how the other person is reacting to me. I know my morning meditation is contributing to this patience and greater presence.
I find my Self wanting to meditate more.
Because of this, I find my Self wanting to meditate more. Whether sitting longer or sitting down to meditate more times throughout the day, I love the feeling of meditation and the feeling that continues afterward. I’m at a point now where I am not trying to keep my 30-day commitment going because the benefits are so great, and most importantly, my alignment of spirit, mind, and body is even stronger than before.
If you aren’t practicing meditation, I hope you give it a try and try it without any pressure to do it “right”---there is no right way to meditate. If you’re looking for an app to try, I love the Open app. While I mostly use the meditation timer, it has excellent guided meditations (I love the sound ones), valuable breathwork sessions, and even yoga. You can use my guest pass for a 30-day trial—this is not an affiliate link, and I don’t think they are giving users a free month if friends sign up, so I do not believe I get anything by you using the link, which is what I prefer—it’s not about me getting a month for free, it’s about helping more people on their meditation journey.
As you get into your meditation practice, I’d love to hear what you’re learning about your Self and noticing.
🎧 Listen to today's Note on the LifeDesign+ podcast.
See you tomorrow and keep pursuing,
JC
🦅 Some ways I might be able to help you live your authentic life:
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💸 AlignedLife+ AlignedLife+ (and the one-time engagement AlignedLife) takes LifeDesign+ to the next level by aligning your finances with your authentic life at RLS Wealth. For individuals looking for a financial advisor to help design and manage their financial plan while maintaining the alignment of spirit, mind, body, and money, AlignedLife+ was created specifically for you.
📈 LifeDesign+ for financial advisors LifeDesign+ for financial advisors mirrors the LifeDesign+ relationship, including the focus on the alignment of spirit, mind, and body, with an important distinction—once the plan for your authentic life has been designed, we shift our focus to integrating your new plan with your practice.
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