Meditation Gives Me Superpowers
Meditation changed my life and you should totally try it
Meditation gives me super powers and that’s why I think you should totally try it. No, I can’t fly. I don’t have X-Ray vision. Webs won’t fly out of my wrists. But I can control minds and I am invincible. Don’t believe me? Let me explain.
Meditating is like going to the gym, but for your mind. You practice actively noticing what your mind is doing and actively letting go of everything else. Sounds boring, right? Surprisingly it’s not. But it does take some getting used to. You have to find which style works best for you and it might be uncomfortable at first. Just like starting out at the gym.
There are hundreds of styles of meditation. But just like working out boils down to two things, strength and cardio, and it’s up to you whether that means weights and a treadmill or burpees and boxing. Likewise, meditation boils down to just noticing and letting go.
When you meditate, there is an object of focus, we’ll call it the thing you are doing. And then there is a witness. That’s you. Your only job is to notice, or witness what you’re doing. It’s that simple…ish. Of course, from time to time thoughts or distractions will come up and that doesn’t mean you’re doing anything wrong. In fact, in means you are doing everything right. You’re being human. And that’s where letting go comes in. You, the witness, notice what your mind is doing, thinking some thought, and gently say to yourself, “that’s not what I’m doing right now,” and let it go. Trust me, if it’s important, it’ll come back up.
So now that you’ve had a crash course in the how of meditating, let me explain why you should meditate. Ever get into a fight with your spouse… or…your teenager…or your two-year old over something that absolutely does not matter? You get sucked in to the battle and all of sudden you’re screaming at each other and you can’t even remember why. That’s because you’re reacting, not responding.
Way back, our tiny lizard brains developed the ability to react in a crisis so that we can take action without thinking first. It’s what allowed humans to survive. But now a days you don’t often encounter the need to survive a bear attack. So our primitive brains take over in other situations, like fighting with a two year-old about screen time.
Your brain is a powerful machine and just like your quads, or bi’s and tri’s, it needs exercise to be at its peak. When you meditate, you’re are training your brain to notice. You’re training your brain to be in control of your thoughts. So when your two-year old says “but mommy please!!!” instead of reacting with “I said no!” and chucking the remote across the room, your rational mind can say, “Wait. This isn’t a crisis. Let’s take a breath and respond calmly.”
You’ve probably heard studies say multi-tasking is myth. Whether or not you believe that, practicing meditation can help you notice when you’re trying to do it. You can then chose what you are doing and let go of what you’re not. I love mediation because it’s given me permission to be all in on what I’m doing and let go of everything I’m not, without feeling guilt. It used to be if I decided to say, go for a run, I’d spend the entire run ruminating about what I should be doing instead. Now, when those thought arise, and they still do, I notice and gently tell myself, “We’re not cleaning the house right now. We’re not working. We’re on a run, and that’s OK.” I stay present in the moment and enjoy.
By now I hope you’re saying, “Melissa, you’ve totally convinced me, but where do I start?” Well curious audience member, I’m glad you asked and you’re in luck. As little as one minute a day is enough to get you started on your journey to receiving the life changing benefits of meditation. Luckily options abound. Try the Breath app on your Apple Watch or ask Alexa. I’m a huge fan of the Daily Calm app. Or you can just wing it. Set a timer for one minute, close your eyes and just notice your breathing.
Athletes practice so they are ready when they’re called in for the big game. Practice meditation and you’ll be ready for the big game called life. After all, it pretty much happens every day. Meditation helps me show up as my best self in any situation no matter the circumstances and I can’t think of a more powerful superpower than that.
Oh, and I’m not saying I’m Wonder Woman, I’m just saying nobody has ever seen me and Wonder Woman in a room together.
Ever thought about a meditation retreat? Read this wonderful post by my good friend Ned Gulley.
