So, about two weeks ago I started to realize I was getting severe headaches due to work , I wasn’t able to sleep right and was continuously breathing heavy as if someone had placed a mountain on my chest. I felt as if I was giving too much of my energy away and by the time I would get home, I was drained. I wanted to do so much in my day, but I was lacking positivity around me, but mainly inside me.
Now that I look back, I realize that miracles happen at the most unexpected times but at the right time. The reason I mention miracles is because I came across an application on my phone called ‘Headspace” . Headspace is a ten day , ten minute guided meditation , in which Andy ( mindfulness expert ) guides you to a place of pure serenity.
Today, I want to share with you the ten things I learned from the ten day meditation:
1) Clearing the mind - When I opened my eyes after the first day of meditation, I literally felt like I had washed my brain and eyes clean. I was instantly addicted to this feeling of freshness and wanted to do it everyday.
2) Sharpened Focus - I began to realize I was able to focus on a task for much longer without being distracted. I would notice my distraction but felt in control to bring back my focus to the task that needed to be completed.
3) Learned about myself - During the meditation, there is a part where you watch your thoughts pass by as if they are cars on the road. It was such a beautiful experience because I learned the type of thoughts I was having and how they made me feel.
4) Awareness - I started to become more aware of my surroundings and started to notice the people and the things that make me feel some type of way.
5) Now - I began to find beauty in the present. I stopped feeling anxious or uncertain. I took full ownership of the present because I realized future is unstoppable, past in uncontrollable and all I have is this moment to enjoy.
6) Surrender attachments - As crazy as this will sound, while I was meditating, I did not define myself by my name. I was me and thats why we hear a lot of mindfulness experts define themselves as “ I am ”.
7) Kind - I learned to be kind with myself. Prior to this experience, I was always striving to be better and beating myself over little mistakes I made. I still want to be the best version of myself but I am no more competing with others but rather creating my own path.
8) Accept - I began to accept others for who they are and their actions. The behaviors that used to irritate or frustrate me no more have control over me. I notice other’s behaviors and accept it for what it is.
9) Stress - Because I live in the moment, nothing of the past or future stresses me out anymore. I have developed a strong faith in my inner universe that I accept things to happen at their own time as long as I am taking the steps towards my goal.
10) Lifestyle - Because of meditation, I noticed what I was eating everyday, how it was making me feel and if I wanted to feel that way. I started to manage my time better and my relations with other better. I looked forward to exercising with weights at the gym and exercising my mind with meditation at home.
All this has happened in ten days but mostly because I was vulnerable to the change and needed a place to escape to when I was stressed out. I am beginning to walk and talk in a state of meditation and I am realizing that I am a body having a spiritual experience. Famous actors/actresses/singers/entrepreneurs/athletes, like Katy Perry, Ellen Degeneres , Oprah Winfrey , Eckhart Tolle , Warren Buffet , Lebron James , all meditate. For the longest time I had a fear that if i meditate, I would lose the fire in me to achieve the most in life but meditation has given me even more of a reason for why I should make an effort to be the best version of myself. I would encourage everyone to download the app Headspace and try it out for yourself. Don’t judge whether it will work or not. You might learn things through the experience that I have not yet learned. I am looking forward to meditating and learning about myself everyday.
