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I’m reading and hearing a lot about the benefits of meditation as a way to enhance life balance. My life feels so hectic though – work, kids, caring for my parents, etc. Especially the mornings! I can’t imagine how or when I’d find time for this. Would morning meditation really make a difference?
JoAnne, 41
Yes! One of the biggest lessons I have learned over the last few years is the absolute importance of starting my day intentionally. Just about every spiritual practice stresses the importance of daily quiet time. In fact, Marianne Williamson, internationally-known modern mystic and bestselling author, says that devoting as little as five minutes every morning to your inner life can set a positive course for your day.
Here are a few tips to support you in integrating stillness into your day:
Decide when your daily quiet time will be.
Often this works best the minute we wake up, before the household gets noisy. This is when our minds are most quiet/clear. If you’re not a morning person, before you go to bed might be better for you.
Create and identify a sacred space in your home for your practice.
What spot elicits peace, healing and nurturing? Maybe it’s a special chair with a candle next to it, a creativity or nature altar or a hammock in the backyard. Your “space” can even be in the car alone, right after you arrive at work or drop off kids, or at your desk before you start your workday.
Begin your meditation with some deep belly breaths.
This gets blood flowing to your brain, helps make you more present and calms your mind (one technique I use is breathing in very slowly for three, holding for three and exhaling for three – all through your nose with your mouth closed). Keeping your eyes closed while doing this helps focus your awareness inward.
Create ritual and flow for your morning time.
For example, you might: 1) light a candle, close your eyes and feel the stillness, 2) pray, meditate or reflect on what you’re grateful for and close by: 3) setting a one-word intention for the day such as “peace,” “flow” or “acceptance.”
For this practice to have the greatest effect, keep your ritual simple, short and personally meaningful. And, remember, you can’t “fail!” If your mind seems to whir like a hamster on a wheel, know that this is normal and you’ll still get a lot of value from a quiet pause. Even just starting your day with an intention is huge!
I’ve been self-employed for three years and lately I find myself in the “spin cycle” with negative, fearful thoughts (particularly around money, the future of my business and starting new projects). I would love some tips on moving out of this unproductive state. Ellen, 48
Good for you for being aware that your fears are holding you back. Here are some ideas to help you release and move forward:
1. Define the unknown. Separate fact from fiction by doing your homework.
2. Ask for support. It’s all around you. Sharing personal fears with close friends or mentors and getting a fresh perspective can cause the boogey man to turn into a smurf!
3. Take baby steps. One of the main reasons many of us abandon new projects is because we become overwhelmed with the “bigness” of it. We literally drown in a sea of details and stall out. Break your idea down into simple, realistic goals. One meeting a week, two visits a month, four phone calls this quarter, etc.
4. Timing is everything. How does the saying go – “make plans and watch the universe laugh at you?” Planning and goals are wonderful but realize that there is an ebb and flow to life and business and often we don’t accomplish things “on schedule.” Relax. Trust that everything happens for a reason and when the timing is right, everything will flow.
5. Be gentle with yourself. Extend the same compassion to yourself that you would to a close friend.
6. Set yourself up to succeed. Make your self-care a priority, align yourself with the right individuals/organizations, have a clear vision for what you want.
Renée Peterson Trudeau is a nationally recognized career/life balance coach and president of Career Strategists. A life balance expert, Trudeau’s work has been featured in US News and World Report, Working Mother, American Way, Family Circle, AARP and she is a regular speaker for Fortune 500 companies and national organizations. Trudeau is the author of the award winning The Mother’s Guide to Self-Renewal: How to Reclaim, Rejuvenate and Re-Balance Your Life. Thousands of women around the world are joining and becoming trained to lead self-renewal groups based on the guide as a way to enhance balance and well being in their lives. Learn more at www.reneetrudeau.com.
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