Why You Don’t Have to Meditate?

Yes, I’m saying you don’t have to meditate. Some of you may be surprised as I’m a huge meditation advocate. However, you may be one of the people who feel stressed out at least not when you just started meditating or maybe it will never work for you and that’s completely fine and there is nothing wrong with you.

I was inspired to write this post as I was working with an online business school program colleague, Inge Broer and she mentioned her advice to people about not having to meditate if it stresses them out and I couldn’t agree more with her. Inge is a Body-Mind-Spirit Healer who lives in Montreal, Canada and she is amazing! .

As one who meditates, a meditation advocate and one who empowers people in their spiritual practice including meditation; I’ve had people reach out to help them meditate and I’ve given them meditation tips. However, I know and understand some people feel unsettled being still with their eyes closed or just being still for a period of time. Too often especially these days, there are many people telling you what you “should” do. You don’t have to do anything, you can make choices and I suggest you do what works for you. I always advise people to do something that soothe their souls and put them in a peaceful place. [tweetable]Do you; listen to your heart, soul and body as they know best! [/tweetable]

Here are a few examples of things you can do aside from sitting still to meditate:

–  Go for a nice walk if you enjoy nature (leave the phone and iPod behind)

–  Go to your favorite park or outdoor place and just relax there (pay close attention to the sounds of the birds, nature’s sounds)

–  If you’ve taken a painting class or want to create something, grab a blank canvas, brushes, paint and start painting

–  Take a nap/Have a good night sleep

–  Relax with a nice fiction book and a cup of your favorite tea or cold drink as temperatures are rising in many areas now

–  Practice yoga

–  Journal

–  Listen to inspirational/spiritual music as you relax

If you notice, all of these examples involve taking it easy and allowing yourself to relax and just be in the moment. As a society, we’re constantly keeping ourselves busy with meetings, work, spending time on social media, checking and replying to e-mails and running around that often we don’t take time to just relax and be. I’ve been guilty of this myself and I have to remind myself to relax and lounge on the couch with a fiction book and take a nap. These activities feed your soul and rejuvenate you in your life journey as you work to achieve your highest potential.

Meditation Tips

Meditation is a powerful tool that allows you to go within, reconnect with your true self and receive guidance from your inner voice and I’ve experienced this during meditation. There is an undeniable power in sitting still. If you are interested in adding a meditation practice in your life, my advice is to start small. Start with 1-5 minutes a day, use guided meditations as it’s been my experience that they may work best for beginners at times especially if you find yourself not knowing what to do on your own, use a mantra to keep you focused and to go back to when thoughts start coming up. A mantra is something that resonates with you that you use to bring you back to your true self. My personal mantra is “I am love and light” and I use it many times when I meditate in silence.

I Am Light

I’m ending this post by sharing a video of this powerful song that means a lot and truly resonates with me. I hope you’ll enjoy it as well!  I’ve used it to meditate or listening to it for me is a form of meditation that reminds me of my true self and I’ve also used it as a cool down song at the end of my zumba classes. I believe we are all light and it’s the song I Am Light by India Arie.

Enjoy, remember that you are light and do you!

I’d love to hear your thoughts and please share your own tips to relax and just be with me in the comments section. If you found this helpful, please share it on social and with anyone you know would benefit from it thanks!

If this stirred something in you that you would like to explore on a deeper level, I invite you to schedule a complimentary discovery session with me by clicking here.

Love and Light!