Meditating is as normal for me as making a cup of tea or checking my mail at the start of each day...
Meditation de-stresses me, focuses me, increases my clarity, creativity and ability to see new possibilities. It enables me to live and work in my role as a leadership & executive coach more effectively, efficiently and happily. And of course it's benefit in most, if not all, of these areas has been scientifically proven.
I used to see meditation as an 'add on' in my life and work.
Something I had to especially set time aside for, go sit on one of those special cushions for, and find somewhere totally silent to practice. It's benefits were something I 'talked about' with my clients.
This morning early, I was sitting at the kitchen table with my cup of tea and decided to take just 10 minutes in mindfulness meditation to kick start my day. After what seemed like no time at all, my 7 year old daughter walked into the kitchen, probably looking for her breakfast!
Now, at this point I should confess, that I have been meditating regularly almost every morning early, for about two years.
Just not usually at the kitchen table, but in my home office. And my children are used to their "weird mum" getting up to do this. I'm alone with them during the week, and I've said that unless someone is being murdered or the house is burning down, they're not to disturb me. And of course they always follow my requests to the letter! Haha.
Today though, was an eye opener for me.
My usually very chatty and 'present' 7 year old daughter, on coming into the kitchen, remained silent. I could hear her quietly moving around, turning the tap on and filling something up. I could tell by the sounds that she was making, that she was watering her vegetable seedlings on the kitchen window sill. She remained silent, not talking, until my timer went off and I opened my eyes. And even then she didn't say anything straight away. She just looked at me.
And when in meditation I noticed that the sounds she made were not at all disturbing or irritating. They served to heighten my awareness, keeping me in the mindful here and now. Just listening and noticing. Without judging, thinking (too much!) about the sounds, and not minding that my solitude and silence had been 'broken'.
I suddenly realised that this is what it is like to have my life fit around my meditation.
To have meditation truly integrated as normal within my life. Like tea. No longer am I trying to create a special, silent time or space for it. No longer is it an 'add on'.
This is really great news, since I am as hooked on my meditation - actually I'm hooked on the results it gives me - as I am on my morning tea and my glass of red wine in the evenings.... but that's another story!
"The way you lead your life, is the way you lead"
So, having the feeling that my life fits around it, instead of needing to fit it in to my life is liberating. That's not to say that my daughter won't interrupt me next time she walks in, with demands for breakfast! But right now, I'm just enjoying this feeling of the personal shift in mindset on my meditation practice that I think I've just made.
Whatever your current mindset on meditation, may be you are interested in a simple, quick and practical way to incorporate a short, mindful practice into your life and work? Click here to download my suggested approach. Anyone, no matter how busy, can do this!
Love, Jo