Hello my Full Circle Queens! Welcome to a subject matter that is near and dear to my heart - meditation and mindfulness. Out of all the healing work I’ve done, NOTHING has impacted my growth or sense of well-being more than meditation/mindfulness has. My deepest hope is that each of you discover the healing potential of meditation and it opens up a world of beautiful possibilities. Namaste my besties!!

An Introduction to Meditation and Mindfulness

Meditation and mindfulness are powerful tools for enhancing mental and emotional well-being. In simple terms, meditation involves focusing the mind on a particular object, thought, or activity to train attention and awareness, while mindfulness is the practice of being present and fully engaged in the current moment. Together, they help reduce stress, improve concentration, decrease anxiety and depression, and foster a greater sense of peace and joy. By incorporating these practices into our daily life, we can cultivate a deeper connection with ourself and the world around us, ultimately leading to a more balanced and fulfilling life. And in today’s world, I can think of nothing more important than creating a greater sense of peace. If we are to survive these tumultuous times, and dare I say thrive, meditation and mindfulness will definitely help us do that. Full stop!

Getting Started with Meditation

Starting a meditation practice doesn’t need to be complicated at all. Here’s what helped me get started:

• Create a space: Wherever this is, claim it as sacred. Make sure you won’t be interrupted. Turn off your devices. Light a candle. Dim the lights. Set an intention that aligns with you and your meditation. Stay in this “space” and let the outside world wait. You are training yourself to show up.

• Start with simple breathing exercises. That’s it. Just breath for 5 or 10 minutes. Do this for a week or more. (I’ll share some of my go-to favs below)

• Guided meditations: Getting started with your meditation practice can seem overwhelming. There are countless guided meditations that do the work for you and help you begin. Use these to become more consistent, to train your consistency muscles. Guided meditations are a simple place to start. I use them all of the time and love them! (Some favourite links below)

• Be consistent: As with any practice - exercise, healthy eating, etc. - we want to start small and build on the momentum. For example, start meditating for 5 minutes every morning. Just 5 minutes. After 1-2 weeks, increase the time to 10 minutes. Repeat that process until you land on a time structure that works for you. If a daily meditation is too challenging, no problem. Start with 2-3 times a week and build from there. The goal here is to start where you are, be gentle with yourself, and simply begin. Give yourself lots of love and high fives for the tiny movements toward your goal and track your wins. Over time you’ll see the progress. Keep going my sisters!

What’s most important when beginning a meditation practice is to start small and do it as consistently as possible. Create a sacred space, even it’s in a corner of your office, and set your intentions. This is about you - carving out time and space for healing and peace. Find meditations that work for you and experiment. Just begin and little by little, your daily commitment will grow into a transformative practice that will change you from the inside out. I promise!

Mindfulness in Daily Activities

Practicing mindfulness may seem trite or insignificant, but nothing could be further from the truth. Think of all the energy we expend throughout our days ruminating on our past or worrying about our future. This is wasted energy and time we cannot get back. By bringing our attention to the present moment we are developing a state of grace. An inner peace. This is what we’re aiming for. Less ruminating. Less worrying. Less spinning out about things we can’t control. More presence. More wonder. More appreciation for the magic in the ordinary.

Mindfulness can be seamlessly integrated into everyday activities, turning ordinary tasks into opportunities for presence and awareness. Like mindful eating - something I struggle with - where we savor each bite, paying attention to flavors, textures, and the act of eating itself. Or mindful walking, which encourages us to notice the sensations of each step and the environment around us. Even routine chores like washing dishes or folding laundry can become mindfulness practices by focusing fully on the task at hand, helping to cultivate a sense of calm and presence throughout the day.

When we develop our mindful muscles and come back to the present moment, we train our brains to do more of the same. It becomes embedded in our neurochemistry and changes the way we perceive the outer world. We start to notice the little things, the sound of the birds, the sunshine on our face, the smell of fresh cut grass. Our brains become more and more centred around beauty and wonder. This is what we’re after. This is what elevates our energy. When we operate from a state of elevation, grace, wonder, and joy, we naturally attract more of the same. And who doesn’t want more of this?

Below, I will share with you a link to some of my favorite ways to practice mindfulness. These are tiny, one minute exercises to begin integrating presence into our daily lives. They work wonders, I promise!

final thoughts

Meditation and mindfulness are essential practices for enhancing our mental, emotional, and physical well-being. Although there are differences between the two, both are necessary for a well-rounded practice. Meditation involves focusing the mind on a specific object, thought, or activity - think breathing, repeating a word or mantra, or feelings of love and gratitude - which helps train attention and awareness, leading to a more centered and peaceful state of being. Mindfulness, on the other hand, is the practice of being fully present and engaged in the current moment, noticing thoughts, feelings, and sensations without judgment. Together, these practices can significantly reduce stress, improve concentration, and foster a greater sense of inner peace and joy.

The importance of meditation and mindfulness extends way beyond immediate relaxation and stress relief. The data bears this out and is worth exploring. Regular practice can lead to long-term benefits such as improved emotional regulation, increased resilience, and a deeper connection to ourself and others. Consistent meditation helps decrease pain, anxiety, and depression as well. These practices encourage a shift from reactive to responsive living, allowing us to navigate life's challenges with greater ease and clarity. By integrating meditation and mindfulness into daily routines, we can cultivate a more balanced, fulfilling, and joyful life. I can think of no better time than right now to begin integrating meditation and mindfulness into our lives. These are challenging times indeed!

As with any change worth making, start small and be patient. Build on your consistency and celebrate your wins. I encourage you to track your progress somehow so that you can see the building momentum. Create a sacred space to do your meditations as a way to signal the shift from your outer world to the inner world. Even if you only have a tiny corner in your bedroom, that’s fine. Create an altar. Set your intentions. Light a candle. Do anything that works for you to signal the shift here. Turn off your devices. Let the emails and to-do lists go. They’ll be there when you are finished. Even if you only have a tiny corner in your bedroom, that’s fine. Just start where you are and begin the practice. That’s all you need to do.

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resources

Below are a couple of links that might help in your journey. As always, take what you need, discard the rest, and find what works for you.

Insight Timer

This is the app I use most in my daily life. There is a free version and a paid version. I use the free version and find it offers plenty of options. There are wonderful guided meditations, some very short, and are great if all you have is 5 minutes. You can find breathing meditations, music, and even workshops. Check it out. I hope you find Insight Timer as useful as I do. Namaste besties!

Mindful Minutes - A Tool For Daily Mindfulness

This is an excerpt from The Art of Self Care Workbook and explores a number of ways to cultivate daily mindfulness. And the best part? Each one only takes one minute. One minute! I cannot emphasize enough how impactful mindfulness and meditation has been in my own life. My biggest hope is that you find it to be just as powerful in your healing journey. (You can also find Mindful Minutes in the resource section.)

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September art project

I’m going to call this fun little project background papers with a twist. While being fully present with our 7 year old inner child we’ll create a series of background pages that we’ll cut up to use in our final piece.

Background papers are perfect for practicing mindfulness. When we let go of our expectations and stay with what’s right in front of us, we are in the moment. We aren’t worrying about what comes next, or how it all fits together. It’s just paint, paper, and joy. That’s it. Background papers from our child-like heart. Yes please!

We’ll start by pulling a few cards from the box to give us our color story. Let your intuition guide you here.

“To a mind that is still,

a whole universe surrenders.”

-Lao Tzu