I have been meditating inconsistently for the past 4 years, but this year and for the first time ever, I decided to commit to it every single day. If you read my previous blog post ‘66 days of meditation’ you’ll know I set myself a target to meditate for 66 consecutive days.
So, this is my update to tell you how it went, and how its (still) going…
Practicing meditation has nothing to do with religion for me, it’s more like a mental workout, a daily exercise for my brain. I have always been intrigued by it due to the positive research and health benefits associated with the practice, however I have found it has become much more than that for me. It has developed into a tool that I use to calm down, find more peace and level-headedness, appreciate my body and be more present.
How I Meditate
Most guru’s and teachers explain the benefits of meditation in an upright seated position, “head over heart, heart over pelvis”. However, the most effective position for me is still lying down. I find I get caught up thinking about my aching back, when I try to sit upright and it interferes with my practice. I understand this is something I should work to “become more present” with, but at the moment I want to make it as easy as possible to build this healthy habit into my life, I’ll improve that later.
I have been using Headspace, a guided meditation app that has many courses, singles, techniques and teachers that keep things interesting and easy going. Everything I need is right there and I suspect I will continue to use their platform for a long time. I usually do a short 10 minute meditation when I wake up, before I get out of bed, sometimes this doesn’t happen so I either fit it in between clients at work, or before bed that evening.
Since successfully completing 66 consecutive days, I have also been using a breathwork app called ‘Othership’ which I am enjoying a lot. This is much more fun and interactive to do, and I find when I am struggling to focus my thoughts with a racing mind or restless body, I prefer to use this, over meditation. I am using both every day at the moment and relishing in the noticeable effects of this.
"In the journey in life, in the journey of meditation, the magic is in repeatedly letting go"
Let go of judgement, expectation, thoughts, emotions, to let them be and let them go without resisting. It is not always that easy, especially when there is construction noise outside my window every morning, but with practice it becomes easier.
So, what are the changes that I’ve noticed?
1. Being Present – I have found myself to be more present at random points in my day. I am not thinking, just being, for a short while. For example, I recently had a brief experience where I was standing in a que for a Vietnamese hawker that I regularly go to if I forget my prepped lunch and all of a sudden, I tuned into my senses and out of my head. I felt the heat of Singapore combined with the warm air from the ceiling fan’s blowing on my skin, the sound of all the cooking and hustle and bustle around me, I noticed the red and gold lanterns hanging on the wall and the smell of all the delicious food being enjoyed around me. I was blissfully in the present moment and it felt amazing! I have felt a noticeable improvement in my levels of focus, experiencing less mind wandering at work or whilst reading. I find myself ‘mindlessly scrolling’ less and I deleted the Instagram app from my phone a few times throughout the 2 months, as I was able to notice I felt much worse after a mindless scroll, than if I was to just do something else entirely and put my phone down. I am still more often than not in my head, rather than in the present moment, but I have noticed a significant increase in frequency of tuning back in and it feels wonderful.
2. Less Stress & 10% happier - I have observed a reduction in my day-to-day stress levels and I am less reactive to triggers. For example, if a stranger bumps into me and doesn’t apologise (mostly Singaporean Aunties, just saying!) this would usually cause me to feel a spark of annoyance that lingers for some time, and me being totally British, I might mutter to myself “sorry would be nice”. Now however, I am able to take a deep breath, acknowledge the emotion that it brought up, and let it go on its merry way. My emotions don’t linger for so long, because I give them the attention they want in the moment, and then I am able to let them go much faster.
This happens with all aspects of my day and I am generally feeling calmer and happier. That is not to say I am not feeling the full spectrum of emotions each week, because I am. And I see the full spectrum of emotion as something that should be acknowledged within my body, not repressed in anyway. I just feel better equipped to give my body what it needs in the moments that I am feeling stronger emotions.
3. My IBS?! A result I did not expect… I have suffered with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) for the last 6-7 years of my life. On the whole, I manage this well-being a dietitian & after completing the Low FODMAP diet. However, living in Singapore, travelling frequently, being a foodie and enjoying trying new dishes and recipes, it still proves to be a challenge for me at times and I find myself still needing to use the loo more often than I’d like (sorry for the TMI!)
That being said, I have noticed a significant reduction in abdominal pain, bloating & frequency to go to the toilet. I have also noticed that I am enjoying food more when I eat out, because the fear of eating food I haven’t cooked myself has reduced. Therefore, I can go so far as saying that meditation has directly improved the quality of my life not just on a mental level, but within my physical body too.
These are just some of the improvements I have seen in the short-term, albeit they are marginal improvements, and this is self-reported by one individual, but they have been noticeable and perhaps life changing for me. I am finding myself more motivated to continue this daily practice for the rest of my life (optimistic, I know).
My Goals…
I would like to continue in my search for more peace & happiness in my day-to-day life using these tools. For now, my aim is to mediate for 5-10 minutes per day, along with an additional 5-10 minutes of guided breathwork. Over the next 3 months, I would like to increase this to 20 minutes of mediation and a full 1 hour of breathwork per week. My current mediation streak is at 93 days and I hope to keep this going for the foreseeable future.
I sincerely hope that by sharing my experience with you, I can inspire you to give it a try and reap some of these amazing rewards too. If you’d like to know more, please do get in touch with me either on Instagram or via the contact tab on my website.
Discounts (not sponsored)
Headspace: For a discount of 50% off the regular yearly price at Headspace, please use the offer code B2CCX50OFF2023 before check out.
Othership:
App Store: Claim 30 days free by following this link.
Google Play: Download app and enter code: BREATHEEASY
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