Welcome to Meditation Mondays
If you’re familiar with Pop Benefits you may be thinking, “Wait, meditation??? Isn’t Pop Benefits about insurance?” Yes, that’s true, but it’s about more than that; I’m here to guide and provide tools and information to help us all thrive, live happier, and have a more fulfilling experience in every area of life.
It’s no secret that we’re living in a time with a million reasons to be distracted and taken out of the present moment. We’re consumed with technology, have an overload of emails and tasks to complete, heightened anxiety, project deadlines, fear of the future, stories of the past, media noise, world problems, and responsibilities of life, not to mention our own crazy thoughts! Life can be challenging and overwhelming; now more than ever we need ways to bring ourselves back from the crazy, FAST!
In Meditation Mondays I’ll be providing a new and easy meditation for you to try every day for the week. I know, I know, you don’t have time to meditate! My favorite response to this, from my teacher Gabrielle Bernstein is, “Do you have time to feel like crap?” I’m not insisting you sit in stillness for 20 minutes a day (although you can), but I am suggesting that you try these meditations for 1 minute a day. That’s it, just 1 minute. 3, 7, 11 minutes if you feel called to but honestly, 1 minute is enough, and I guarantee you’ll feel a shift.
Week 1 Meditation:
Either sit on the floor in a cross legged position (easy pose) or if that's uncomfortable for you simply sit in a chair with both feet on the floor. Straighten your spine and rest your palms on your knees or lap facing up, your first finger and thumb tips touching, eyes closed and gently focusing up in between your eyebrows (your third eye point). Start by taking a few slow breaths in and out, shoulders relaxed, making sure that as you inhale your stomach expands and presses out, and on the exhale your stomach compresses in towards your spine (this is how you should be breathing all the time).
Take a full inhale then exhale fully to begin, then inhale for 4 counts (count in your head), hold the inhale for 4 counts, then exhale for 4 counts, hold the exhale out for 4 counts.
Repeat for 1,3,7,11 minutes (I use my phone timer to keep track).
After the last exhale, inhale deeply and hold your breath for several seconds and release fully. Open your eyes, smile, go about your day.
You can use this first thing in the morning before getting out of bed and checking your phone, you can do it in your car before walking into the office or a meeting, you can do it in the bathroom if that’s the only place you can get a moment to yourself. Whatever makes sense for you!
When we have the ability to bring ourselves to a more calm and centered place, regardless of what’s happening around us, we are better equipped to find solutions, tap into our creativity, attract opportunities, feel better, make decisions from a place of power, have better relationships, be more present, have more time, even improve our health! Couldn’t we all use a little more of that?
Happy Meditating!
With Love & Gratitude,
Melody
