From what I have discovered through my own personal experience, and the work I have done with others, is that mental well-being is achieved through all the small things that we do each day. That all these small things like planning a yummy meal, going for an afternoon walk, or calling our BFF, add up to powerful shifts in how we feel.
Another important element of our mental well-being is taking time each day to quiet our mind and sit in stillness, or more commonly known as meditation. It took me years to finally establish a daily meditation practice. I always had such wonderful excuses and reasons why I just couldn’t take the time, until I started doing it, and everything changed. I discovered my inner awareness grew. I was able to observe more subtle shifts in my moods and ultimately allowing me to pause and adjust as needed. Specifically in my ability to notice if I was fixating on something or starting on a downward spiral.
My meditation practice now is so ingrained into my routine. If I miss it in the morning it feels as if I’ve missed my morning coffee.
Do I sit in silence, my mind totally quiet the whole time? Not often, though some days are better than others. But I do sit for 20 minutes every morning – the first 10 minutes to keep flushing out my thoughts working on letting them go. If that doesn’t quite work, I do breath work – alternate nostril breathing or breath of fire, which is a technique of rhythmic pumping of the navel area with short bursts of exhales from the nose.
It’s generally in the last 10 minutes of my meditation that my mind finally becomes quiet. What helps is that I focus on my third eye (brow point) and often see colours that hold my attention. I also use my time in meditation to intuitively release tension from my body, perhaps noticing that my shoulders are hunching, or if I’m gripping in my spine or hips.
My meditation practice grounds me, reminding me that my own mental well-being is my primary focus, and the other thoughts slipping through are secondary, or even lower on the priority schedule. I become fully present, and this carries with me through the day. Often, I find that I can pause and just reflect on my morning practice. I can become quite still in my mind for a minute or two, helping to clear my thoughts while I’m working, allowing me to think more clearly through complex problems or strategies.
My hope in sharing this with you is to inspire you to explore this practice more regularly on your own.
If you are ready to start (or continue) your own meditation practice, I have free to access guided meditations as part of the sangha (community) portal. You can also find a free workshop on Yoga for Mental Health with more tips to help manage your own mental well-being through yoga. Create your login here: https://sanghayoga.group.app/invite
