Over a year ago, I attended the AdClub of Toronto’s Mindful Morning (Breakfast Series) where I found myself in an unfamiliar situation — we were asked to take 5 minutes to participate in a meditation exercise with an open attitude. I’ll be honest; meditation wasn’t something I had ever considered practicing, let alone as a means to cope with everyday stress. This is when it started to click with the importance of resilience and learning to cope under pressure in a new way.
Every morning, after the moment I wake up, I take 5 minutes to restore my calm by meditating in complete silence. I sit up, I close my eyes, and I visualize all of the things that are occupying my mind. I visualize all of those things fading away, one by one. I feel my mind and myself relax, and the stress and anxiety of what the day will bring melt away. I focus my attention and eliminate the information overload. I start sensing my physical self sharpen as my emotional well-being is restored.
Meditation has helped me gain a new perspective on personal situations. It has helped me to develop the skills to manage stress. And above all, it has helped me learn to focus on the present, which has had a positive impact on my self-awareness and reducing negative emotions.
There are many forms of meditation, all of which have the goal of achieving a relaxed state of mind and well-being. I’ve come to understand that meditation requires practice and experimentation. Meditation requires investing in yourself and finding what really works best for you. Meditation begins with an open attitude, followed by focused attention and relaxed breathing. Meditation can be practiced by anyone and anywhere — and there is no right or wrong way of doing it. The moment you accept this, the easier it will be to find your meditation style.
Consider building meditation into your daily routine as a tool to improve yourself. Allow meditation to suit you and adapt it to your needs at any given moment. You might quickly discover that a few deep breaths was all you needed to help bring calm back to the most wonderful time of the year.
