meditation — Blog — Finding Joy

I am not a certified meditation teacher. These tips are helpful for my personal mediation practice and have helped me get started.

Hi guys! I can't believe it is August already - where is summer going? To be honest, I won't be too horribly sad, seeing how hot and humid it has been this year. Or maybe the winters are so long I forget just HOW hot it gets in NYC. Maybe we could all use some meditation to get through it :)

If you guys have been following me for a while now, you know how much I love meditation and how important my practice has become. It is part of my wellness ritual that you can read more about here! Whether you are simply curious, have tried it out before or trying to become more consistent in your own practice, I wanted to share helpful tips that have helped me ease into meditation.

Before I moved to NYC almost 4 years ago this month(!), I was dedicated to meditating almost every day for several months. I had my quick 20-minute yoga sequence and then sat on my mat to meditate for only a few minutes in the morning. I want to reiterate: a few minutes. I don't believe you need to meditate for an hour or longer to reap the benefits. The practice and routine are what make it worthwhile. Although I do know from personal experience that the more consistent you are, the more willingness there will be to sit longer and feel more comfortable doing it. You will know why.

Sometimes life gets in the way and we minimize the space for such habits/routines, and that is ok. I think remembering the why is super important. Why did you start in the first place? How did it make you feel? Are you benefitting from it? I know when I go through periods of time without meditating, I feel imbalanced. If you have those positive habits that help, stick to them.

Again, I am no meditation professional. There are so many unique ways to ease into it and everyone is different.

3 Helpful Ways to Start Meditation

Find a comfortable space - Ideally you want to meditate in a quiet, peaceful place. There will be many distractions in the form of "thoughts" that run through your brain so the less environmental distractions to deal with, the better. You don't have to sit in a formal meditation space or center. I do both at home and in a guided class. Both beneficial.
Focus on your breath - Let's be honest, you might dwell on certain thoughts or get lost in your to-do list, thinking about everything possible other than meditating. Try to return your focus on your breath, breathing in and out. Sometimes what helps me is to literally tell myself (in my head) to breathe in and out, while doing it.
Set your own time - Let go of the pressure to sit for a given amount of time. It can be intimidating or uncomfortable to feel forced to sit in complete silence. When I first started, I didn't even set a time or look at my clock, I simply just sat for as long as I could.

I didn't start going to guided meditation classes until I moved to NYC. A previous yoga teacher (when I first started) would lead a short mediation at the end of class, so that is how I was first introduced. Isn't it funny to look back and notice how certain habits were influenced by someone or something? I am forever grateful for her and that class!

I would love to hear if you have tried traditional meditation or not. What do you think?

Hi guys! Wow, it has been quite some time since I wrote a meaningful post. Huge thanks for those of you still choosing to follow along on this platform, I appreciate you! You can expect to hear from me more often these days.

After sharing some of my favorite daily rituals here, I thought it could be helpful to expand upon the topic. Please ignore the "to stay slim and rev up metabolism" part in the header - I did not share those things to promote weight loss. Mindfulness and "well-being" are such hot topics for discussion today but I also think it's crucial to find and practice rituals that serve YOU and not because you feel pressured to follow someone else's routine. We could all use a little reminder to remove some of the "shoulds" in life. Do what feels good to you and if it's not serving you in any way, let that shit GO. Find below some of my favorite ways that help provide wellness in my life.

Wellness Rituals

Breathe - After living with severe anxiety a few years ago, I learned just how important it is to breathe. For those of you who have or currently experience anxiety, it can feel difficult to breathe normally - not getting in adequate oxygen and/or hyperventilation. Deep breaths also do wonders when stress creeps in. Try taking one long inhale and then exhale, counting down to five on the exhale.

Yoga - I actually don't practice yoga daily but several times per week. And sometimes by doing yoga, I often mean doing a quick sequence and stretches on my own vs. an actual class. I find even doing some poses to help stretch my body out is so helpful and feels SO good!
Meditation - Another strategy that helped with anxiety that stuck and again, I don't do this daily either but when I did, it was life-changing. I found it helped me relax but also to let go of the things in life that I had zero control over. *Remember, anxiety never fully goes away, you just adapt and form positive coping strategies

Matcha - I love a good matcha latte. Coffee also brings me joy but when I am feeling increased stress or anxiety, matcha comes through like a champ. It still provides a great deal of energy without the typical side effects of caffeine in a strong cup of coffee. *Everyone reacts to caffeine differently. Matcha provides calm, focused energy for me so I like to switch it up between coffee and matcha weekly.
Gratitude list - Saying or writing out 3 things I am grateful for daily has a huge, positive impact on my day. It helps set the tone for the remainder of the day, helping me stay grounded. I usually say them in my head but l write them down every so often.

There are so many others I could list but the above has had the biggest impact. Let me know if you try any of these or tell me what you do to bring wellness into your life!