Could Meditation Be Your Sanity Saver? 5 Ways to Begin

“Radical Acceptance is the willingness to experience ourselves and our lives as it is.” ― Tara Brach, author/meditation teacher

I am in a season of life that is incredibly stressful. There’s no other way to put it. Between personal, family and work crises, this year has been very challenging. I’m also supporting dear friends/clients who are also in the thick of it. And, of course, collectively we’re all swimming in a sea of chaos and uncertainty.

Lately, I have felt exhausted and unsettled and often it can be a major feat to stay grounded. But this morning, rather than slide into my old pattern of succumbing to the seduction of productivity, I’m stopping in my tracks to embrace renowned meditation teacher Sylvia Boorstein’s advice: “Don’t just do something, sit there.”

Besides joyful movement and hikes in nature, the daily ritual that most helps me quiet my mind, release stress and lessen my need to control my circumstances is a 20-minute morning meditation.

For years, I fought the idea of a morning ritual, of creating dedicated time every day to steep in stillness before entering the world. I had read the brain research on the benefits of meditation, but I rationalized: “It’s too hard when you’re a parent.” “I’m too busy.” “I’ll do it later in the day.” “I would, but my partner won’t join me.” “I don’t have the right space.” “I need a new meditation cushion.” And so on. I worked hard to justify my reluctance, always wondering, “Does it really make a difference?” Today, it seems crazy that I needlessly postponed what I now consider the single most important part of my day.

Brain researchers share that devoting as little as five minutes every morning to your inner world can set a positive course for your entire day.

This wisdom really spoke to me. Taking five minutes each morning to pause in stillness and set an intention for my day? I could do that. Here are five tips that may help you jump-start a meditation practice:

• Schedule meditation for the same time each day. It works best to meditate early in the morning when our minds are most quiet and clear. If you’re not an early-morning person, do it at lunch, take a mid-morning nature break or wait until after the kids have gone to bed at night. Evening meditations can be beautiful and relaxing.
• Identify where you’ll pause for your practice. Find or create a space in your home that elicits safety, peace, healing and self-nurturance. Know that you can go there at any time and use this as a regular meditation place. Maybe it’s a special reading chair, your bedroom closet or under your favorite tree. Or if having a spot at home isn’t feasible, identify a quiet parking lot or a nearby green space next to your office where you can park and be alone. Get creative!
• Tap a source of comfort and inspiration. To focus the intention and set the tone for the day, many like to read and meditate on an inspirational text or phrase before or at the end of their meditation. Some utilize a spiritual teaching or text, a favorite book or poem or an inspiring daily online message.
• Remember to breathe. Sometimes when we meditate, our agitation and anxieties fill our heads with thoughts and to-do lists. When this happens, don’t forget to breathe! Breathing detoxifies, energizes, changes our mood and biochemistry, wakes up the brain and helps us feel more present and calm. One calming technique I love is to breathe in very slowly for a count of six and exhale for eight—all through the nose with the mouth closed. Repeat for at least ten times. Close your eyes to help focus your awareness inward. Some people like to choose a word to help them stay focused on their breathing.
• Ritualize your morning meditation time. Establish a simple ritual or routine for your morning meditation, which provides a rhythm and structure. For example, you might first light a candle, close your eyes, and rest in stillness. If you like, you could then read a short inspirational text, and close by reflecting on what you’re grateful for or setting an intention for the day. You might ask a higher power for guidance on an issue. Choose a rhythm and flow that works for you. You can find more tips and guidance on daily meditation practices in my life balance book Nurturing the Soul of Your Family: 10 Ways to Find Peace & Harmony in Everyday Life.

Above all, release “should’s” or “have to’s.” There is no right or wrong way to do this. Keep it simple, maintain a sense of humor and—above all—make it personally meaningful.

Bhavani, a wonderful meditation teacher I love at Kripalu where I teach, says, “How do you know when you’ve had a successful meditation? It’s over.” Don’t worry about the results. Just creating the space for stillness and accepting whatever unfolds is enough. Every time you come to your cushion will be different. Allow yourself to experience what it’s like to be fully present and comfortable sitting in silence. And be gentle with yourself. If this is new, even just starting with five minutes of quiet before you begin your day is huge!

Lastly, give this time. You may not experience immediate or consistent results, but you still receive tremendous benefits from regular practice. Even on the days when my thoughts are ricocheting around like exploding popcorn, I still feel better after I meditate than I did before. A wise mentor once said to me, “Want to experience a little bit of peace? Meditate once a week. Want to experience a lot of peace? Meditate every day.” For a growing number of us, meditation is the secret weapon for maintaining our sanity!

Warmly ~ 

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Subscribe here to Live Inside Out, a weekly blog written by transformational coach/author/speaker and self-care evangelist Renée Peterson Trudeau. Passionate about helping men and women live more intentionally and find balance through the art/science of self-care, Renee has been facilitating high-impact, interactive workshops for Fortune 500 companies, national nonprofits/conferences and organizations/teams worldwide for 25 years. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Fast Company, Good Housekeeping, US News & World Report, AARP, Spirituality & Health and more. She and her team have certified more than 450 facilitators in 10 countries around the globe to lead self-renewal groups/retreats based on her pioneering self-care curriculum. She’s the author of several books on life balance including the award-winning The Mother’s Guide to Self-Renewal: How to Reclaim, Rejuvenate and Re-Balance Your Life. Renee and her husband live in Western North Carolina and they have one son in New York City. Her latest venture is Wild Souls Nature Adventures. More on Renee here.