5 Simple Meditations ANYONE Can Do.

When I started on my spiritual journey I did several things to help myself heal, learn and progress. I read numerous books, wrote out goals, listened to podcasts, went to seminars and worked with various mentors. Although I had heard over and over again about the benefits of meditation it was something I was resisting. I am a doer and for people like us it’s hard to give into the idea of taking time out to get quiet. I thought meditation was literally sitting and doing “nothing”. I could not have been more wrong. If I would have known what I was truly missing out on and ultimately what not meditating was costing me I would have given in a long time ago. I finally surrendered to the “meditation do nothing” practice about five years ago and will never stop. It is mind blowing what meditation does in our life! 

A lot of people use the excuse to not meditate because they say they don’t have time. Seriously wake up ten minutes earlier and do yourself a favor by practicing with that time daily. You will start to crave meditating and when you miss a day you will want to get back to it as soon as possible.  It doesn’t need to be a complicated practice. Here are five simple meditations anyone can start with…

1. Cup of gratitude-I love the ritual of drinking coffee in the morning. Prepare your favorite morning drink of tea, juice or coffee. Sit quietly while you slowly savor your drink and think of several things you are grateful for. 

2. Mindful walk- Take time to unplug as you walk in nature. Leave the electronics at home and heighten your senses as you enjoy your walk. What do you see? What can you hear? What can you smell? What do you feel? Instead of zoning out and thinking about your to do list as you exercise you will actually experience being in the  moment. Feel the sun and breeze on your face. Hear the birds chirping. Smell the fresh cut grass on the lawns. See the ladybug, butterfly, mountains, clouds and flowers. 

3. Create an “I have arrived” moment- When you go to bed lay down and create a movie scene in your mind. Close your eyes and see yourself experiencing what I call an “I have arrived” moment. This is something that you really want in your life. Maybe it’s a scene with your loved ones living in a beautiful home sitting around the dinner table playing games and laughing. Or maybe it’s a scene where you see yourself successful, beautiful, healthy and strong with an entourage of people that respect you around. Go to sleep with this visual in mind.

4. Soul to soul- Close your eyes and see someone in front of you. This can be anyone in your life or even a deceased loved one. You can also see yourself as a small child during this exercise. See that person in your mind and speak from the heart telling them whatever you want. This is a really powerful healing practice to let go of pain you’ve been carrying. Many times you will see change in your relationship with the person you do this meditation with. 

5. Mantra chant- Sit quietly for a specified amount of time breathing in and out slowly while chanting a mantra either out loud or quietly. The word “man” means mind and “tra” means instrument. So a mantra is an instrument of the mind. The point to chanting the mantra is to give your mind something to focus on so it quiets all of the chatter. There are numerous mantras you can use and you can look up their meanings to choose one that fits the energy of what you’d like to attract into your life. For example, Har is a mantra to attract prosperity. 

Meditation takes practice but it can be really simple and even starting with five minutes will improve your life. Make a commitment to yourself starting now you will be so happy you did!