meditating is one of those major buzzwords that i feel like every single person i know says has been ‘life-changing’ for them. tbh, i’ve been kind of skeptical…partially because as a Christian the word ‘meditation’ just sounds kind of new age and woo woo to me. i’ve also been skeptical because i’m terrible at sitting still and doing nothing.
BUT i figured if almost everyone on the planet says how good meditation is for you (similar to how all successful people say making your bed is essential…), i decided to give it a try. i’m also seeing a counselor once a week right now and she suggested i try it out as well, as a new tool in my toolbox for dealing with anxiety. i figured i’d try it out and if it didn’t work for me, then i won’t do it anymore haha what do i have to lose here?
part of the reason why i’d never given meditation a try is…i didn’t know where to start. do i just sit on my couch and be still for 20mins? or what do i do? i am definitely a meditation beginner here so i don’t know all the answers but i wanted to share with YOU guys how i got started and what my experience has been so far.
there are TONS of apps that you can download that have guided meditations on there if you don’t know where to start or how to do it on your own (*raises hand*). my counselor told me about an app called headspace and i’ve really been liking it. one reason i like it is they have like designated meditations for every single day you open the app…so you don’t have to wonder ‘which meditation should i do today?’. i also love it because you can pick the length! so i legit started with 5 MINUTES y’all. it doesn’t have to be 30mins to count. most mornings i do 5-10 minutes.
and ‘meditating’ can be as simple as that. you sit on our couch or on the floor or in a quiet space…try and block out 10 minutes for yourself, turn on the guided meditation on whichever app you choose…and they will guide you through some breathing / focus techniques. personally, i like to do a 5-10 meditation in the morning before i open up my bible, to just focus and settle my mind and ask the holy spirit to speak to me.
so i’ve been consistently meditating for probably a month now. and i gotta say…it actually has been so helpful for me in dealing with anxiety or just being more intentional about my day. this simple 5-10 minute practice in the morning helps me be way more in tune with my thoughts and my body throughout the day. whenever anxiety or anger or some emotion like that starts to creep in…i very much feel pulled to take a deep breath, to tune into myself, say a prayer, come back to my breath, and it’s made all the difference.
i also love this 5-10 mins of quiet meditation in the morning because it allows me to check in with myself. how does my body feel? how does my mind feel? what intention do i want to set for my day? as opposed to waking up with high cortisol and just JUMPING into your day frantically. this time to meditate allows you to really check in with yourself + set your intention for the day ahead of you.
if you’re like me you might be wondering…’okay but what do you think about?’ and that’s something i’m still wondering haha. for right now, i really try and just keep my mind focused on the present moment: my breathing, my body on the seat below me, being aware of how my mind + body physically feel. i also pray during these silent moments and ask the holy spirit to speak to me or give me a picture of something. i’m sure everyone’s meditation practice looks completely different but those are a few things that have been really helpful for me.
follow along @laurenkaysims
so, this is your sign: go download the headspace app (or calm or whichever one you want)…and give meditation a shot. maybe in the morning or before you go to bed. if it doesn’t work for you, then ditch it! but i want to challenge you guys to try it out for a month and see if there’s a shift that takes place.
thanks for reading!
xo Lauren
