In the last lesson, you learned about several of the different types of meditations and the one which I most recommend given the hustle and bustle of this day and age.
In this lesson, I will walk you through and practice some mindfulness together so that you feel comfortable in knowing what to do. You will also learn about some additional tools which can support your practice of meditation and stress reduction.
Let's begin with the mindfulness practice.
Here are the steps to take during the practice:
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Eyes: 45-degree angle.
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Palms up.
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Breathe normally.
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Focus on how your body feels, don't judge if your mind wanders that's ok.
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Again, don't judge. Just come back to the moment.
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Set timer for 90 seconds.
Now, let's take 90 seconds and practice this together.
How do you feel now? Perhaps a little calmer? A little more centered? Was it hard for you to focus? That was just 90 seconds, and it might have felt like a long time, but it really wasn't.
I hope that you now feel a little calmer and a little more centered. Practicing mindfulness daily is a great way to ease stress and bring yourself back to the moment. Ideally, do this for at least 3 minutes, but anything is better than nothing.
Now when it comes to meditation, this is a practice which I do not recommend you try on your own, especially when starting out. Luckily, though, there are many tools out there that can help support you in building this new habit.
For example, there are a TON of apps out there to help. Of course, you'll want to try out several so that you find the one that most resonates with you. But some of the options I recommend are:
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Calm.
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Headspace.
One specifically for mamas called Mommy Mind Power. This app also contains some content specifically for dads as well.
Happy, not perfect. PrimedMind by Elliot Roe. If you aren't familiar with Elliot, look him up. He does a lot of mindset work with high performing athletes and top income earners.
And my personal favorite, as mentioned in the last lesson, Brain Sync, by Kelly Howell. You can purchase individual sessions off of the brainsync.com website or go to youtube.com for free meditations.
I personally recommend Kelly Howell's subliminal meditations to work on your subconscious mind. And bonus, the majority of them are only 10 minutes long.
If you try any of these and they aren't meeting your needs then keep looking. There is a wide variety of options out there.
Other tools which can help to support meditation and stress relief, in general, are things such as CBD Oil, Mala Necklaces, and smudging.
CBD oil is great for a variety of things such as calming anxiety, helping with pain, and supporting better sleep.
However, a word of caution here. BE CAREFUL ON QUALITY! Just because you can buy CBD oil at a gas station or a supermarket doesn't mean that you should.
The CBD industry is not well regulated. And this means that companies can create a product from something like a hemp seed vs the plant itself, which will have hardly no effect, if any at all, and still call it CBD oil.
Also, look for a brand that is organically grown and ethically extracted. Bottom line, do not buy just any product and expect it to work. Do your due diligence in researching the brand and the quality.
If this is something that you'd like to know more about but don't want to do the research yourself, feel free to contact me through my blog – kristinnicoleonline.com and select the "contact" button.
Now let's move onto tools such as Mala necklaces, and smudging, which can also be effective in supporting your meditation practice and managing stress.
A mala is a tactile reminder to help you stay present on your intention or mantra during meditation. Your fingers move along the beads as you repeat your prayer, mantra, or intention.
A mala necklace or bracelet creation kit allows you to weave your goals, aspirations, and intentions into the meditation beads, allowing you to manifest your heart's desires.
The act of creating your mala is a form of meditation, binding you to both your intention and the beads. Being present during the process allows you to examine challenges that are holding you back from your full potential.
Last, but certainly, not least is smudging. Smudging is the burning of sage and other herbs with the intent of taking an energetic shower. The smoke clears the space around you, setting the stage for our meditation practice.
YOUR TASK: Take a minimum of a week to practice some mindfulness daily. Remember to shoot for 3 minutes, but 90 seconds is better than none. Make sure to set aside time to work this into your routine. Go back to Lesson 7 if you need help with how to do that.
Then, if you are so inclined, look up some additional information on mala, smudging, and CBD. And feel free to reach out to me via my blog – kristinnicoleonline.com.
In the next lesson, you will learn about the practice of gratitude and the science behind it.
