Meditation Mondays: Elevate Yourself

It's natural to have moments or days when you forget how magical, powerful and amazing you are…how truly capable you are of creating a life that makes you feel happy, connected, and fulfilled.

It doesn't really matter if an actual incident occurred to throw you off your game or not, because sometimes it appears like there isn't a valid reason for it! And then we judge ourselves for feeling down or like there must be something wrong with us, even when everything on the surface of our lives seems to be going okay. When we're in that low energy place or feeling unworthy or insecure about ourselves, businesses, or relationships, our outward experiences begin to match those feelings which in turn makes us feel worse. Unless you're able to catch it, this vicious cycle can get out of control.

So what can we do to lift ourselves up and come back?

• Talking it out with a close friend or partner can help…sharing with people that believe in you and will remind you of how fantastic you are is a great step, but ultimately you have to believe it's true.

• Writing out how you're feeling also helps…think of it as a mental purge and a way to get clear on what's really going on.

• Writing down how you WANT to feel is an underrated and very useful "fake it till you make it" strategy.

• Putting on a favorite jam and dancing it out has incredible benefits; moving your body allows emotions to physically release.

These are all productive and helpful things to do, but what if I told you there was a way to cut through all of your own mental bullshit, feel freedom from your anxieties and limiting beliefs, have confidence in your next right actions to take, feel more grounded, be in a higher vibration of energy and really just feel better? Umm…yes, please! In 1-3 minutes a day you can experience healing on a subconscious level. Things that you consistently obsess and neuroticize over will begin to fall away without you even noticing. I could tell you hundreds of ways this meditation has made immense impact in my own life but I want you to experience it for yourself.

Try this meditation every day for 1-3 minutes for 40 days and see how your life changes.

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 and straighten your spine. Close your eyes and focus up in between your eyebrows (your third eye point).

Raise your arms straight up to a 60 degree angle (think 10 & 2 o'clock). Curl the fingertips onto the pads of the palms at the base of the fingers, keep your thumbs stretched out pointing towards each other or up to the sky above the head.

Hold the position with a Breath of Fire (last week's meditation) for 1-3 minutes: Even inhale and exhale through the nose; the breath should be powerful and quick, but even. Make sure that on the inhale your diaphragm extends, on the exhale your diaphragm contracts, but keep the diaphragm relaxed, don't tighten up.

To end, inhale deeply and hold the breath, keeping the arms straight and spine tall, magnetically bringing the thumb tips together, stretching your other fingers out . Exhale slowly and relax the arms down. Sit in this energy for a moment.

Note: If you're pregnant or menstruating don't do breath of fire, do long deep breaths instead.

Happiness and sanity is a moment to moment practice; there will always be instances that take us out of ourselves so we must make the conscious choice to keep coming back. Just like anything, the more we practice, the easier it becomes and the better equipped we are to enjoy life, regardless of the usual ups and downs.

Happy Meditating! With Love & Gratitude, Melody