Life can get depressing in the world we live in. Where everything moves at a fast pace and we are on a mission to make it big. The pressures mount by age, most of which we induce onto ourselves. Your twenties are a race to reach heavy goals and breathing is the last thing on your mind. Walking into your thirties may feel like a nightmare when you look at the list of unachieved goals.
We are constantly scrolling on the web and social media faced with what our peers are up to and have achieved, whether staged or real, we feel the sting and suffer from weary. We spend so much time thinking about how we could get life right and why we just aren’t pulling it off. God knows there’s way more of us suffering from the pressure of achievement by age than those who are content and taking it as it comes. Truth is the biggest teacher is time and acceptance helps us think better. That is where meditation comes in; meditation can do a lot for us.
Nothing beats taking time off work to relax and get your mind off it all. The same applies to unplugging from the world to kick back and experience some stillness. Silencing the many thoughts that run through our minds 24/7 and easing the load of emotions from our spirits. Meditation is an act of taking your mind and spirit off grid; it is offloading and taking a moment to be in your essence. Because meditation requires you to quiet your daily thoughts, it is a great way to bring in some positive thinking as well as letting go of weary.
There are many forms of meditation; you may meditate through painting, drawing, colouring and writing as a de-stressor. You may also meditate by sitting in nature and being still, listening to what occupies your mind and taking out the trash. The trash of course are the thoughts that tell you why you will fail at your goals, thoughts that tell you that you are worthless; thoughts that make you feel like such a failure.
The simplest meditation method I prefer and always advise beginners to try is performed every night before bed. This type of meditation is a personal favourite as it allows you to let go of the tensions acquired during your day. To meditate comfortably, choose a part of your bedroom which you like, set up a grass mat or whichever mat you like (I love grass mats). Now I always add some ambiance with lavender and sage scents, this may be through burning oils on a burner or through burning the actual herbs and allowing the smoke to cleanse your space before you begin. Every meditation session requires an intention, this is done by simply deciding what you want to achieve through your session, as in what do you want to gain from meditating. For your first time, let’s say we want to let go of negative energy as well as feel at ease.
Setting an intention definitely helps spirit and mind work towards what you need or wish to achieve. Once you have set your intention it is time to sit in a comfortable position, legs crossed if you are able to, palms on your laps and shoulders relaxed. I always advise that when meditating or praying you face the east (Mpumalanga/ bohlabatšatši).
As a beginner it may not be easy or even possible to silence your thoughts and so the best way to go about finding stillness is to focus on breathing. Starting from the top of your head, forehead, facial parts (eyes, nose, mouth, jaw), neck, throat, shoulders, chest and all the way down. Visualise every breath you take as an action. For instance starting with the top of your head you will take a deep inhale to breathe in peace into the top of your head and long and gentle exhale to release tension from the top of your head. Repeat this action until you’ve reach the bottom of your feet. You may also do more breaths for parts of your body that feel tense and more affected, like you brain, neck and shoulders. For your heart I advise that you only bring in peace and not release tension.
Once you are done, take some time to listen to your body and spirit. Take note of the changes and if you feel relaxed and quite at peace, savor the moment. When you are ready to call it, smile and remember that you are here and you are amazing. You are beautiful and you are worthy, you are strong and also deserving of a break, you are here and you will move to where you wish to. So it is and so shall it be.
I hope that this has been and will continue to be a helpful guide on meditation. And I hope that you enjoy your meditation journey and grow in it. Feel free to leave any questions in the comments section and I will be in touch with you.
Thobela! | Thokozani! |Camagu!| Ndauwe!
