Meditations For Even the Busiest Mamas
Somedays are simply a blur. We fly from one activity to another obligation and often can't find the time to brush our hair, let alone fix a nutritious meal. I get it and I'm there with you. When I find myself perpetuating the hustle, then I know it's time for me to SLOW down. Like way down to a snail's pace. Mediation does this. If only for a moment or five minutes, I breathe. I release. I invite and I connect. It is absolutely fundamental to my day and for my well being. It's a non-negotiable.
I used to think that in order to really connect, I needed to disconnect from my life in a big way. I thought that traveling to exotic locations to sit in slience or participating in retreats would hold the key to my meditation success. And then I became a mom. Life got way busy and totally awesome. I had to find a way to fold meditation into my life, not flee my life to meditate. I've shared a few techniques that I use daily on the blog (such as the five finger meditation) but here you will find a few more. As with everything I do, the idea is that these techniques are simple, easy to implement and incredibly effective.
<3 I purposefully arrive 5 minutes early to work or other obligations. I close my eyes and sit in my car in silence. I visualize what I want to cultivate. This sets the tone for the day and allows me to start energized and energetically in line.
<3 Phone reminders. I set reminders on my phone with messages like "I flow through my day with ease and grace" or "In every moment I have a choice and I chose to be happy". These words act as lightening meditations. They anchor me.
<3 I close my door and close my eyes. Hang with me on this one but when I get wiged out at work, I will either close my office door or go to the bathroom and close the door. I close my eyes and simply belly breathe. Removing external stimulation is key here and by taking away visuals and sounds, I can lasso some inner peace. A few moments or a minutes leave me recharged and refreshed.
<3 Mindfulness during the mundane. I practice mindfulness while completing menial tasks such as dishes and folding laundry. I focus and repeat mantras in my head. This provides an opportunity to meditate while also keeping my house clean*ish.
Even the smallest of moments spent breathing, releasing and connecting are powerful. These techniques work well for me and I practice them often. Are they the key to a life of all sunshine and rainbows? Clearly not. However, these are a few ways to cultivate a bit of peace and those little bits, when added together, create something big and powerful.
Mamas, what meditation or mindfulness tricks do you have up your sleeve?
