I wanted to share a little meditation experience I have been following lately with Deepak Chopra and Oprah Winfrey. But before I share the link to this wonderful time sensitive experience, I would firstly like to thank Deb, my friend and fellow blogger, over at Once Upon a Hot Flash for always managing to bring a smile to my face and for introducing Deepak and Oprah’s site to me! Without her love of sharing all things motivational, I wouldn’t have discovered the 21 Day Meditation Challenge. If you haven’t yet discovered Deb’s blog, I urge you to take a peek. Each day she posts one thing she is grateful for, and invites you to do the same. Her daily gratitude posts range from the simple and reflective, to the profound and even the dam right hilarious! She truly is an inspiration (and she also produces some beautiful poetry!)
So, true to Deb’s form: ‘Today I am grateful for Deb’s passion for sharing gratitude! What are you grateful for?’ 😉
Dedicating my time to daily meditation has been a practice of mine for the last four years, and there has rarely been a day that I don’t take a moment out of my schedule to meditate – even if that means I have to listen to a guided meditation whilst eating my dinner… (In saying that – I would strongly advise against deep inhalations with a mouth full of food! Just saying.) But lately, I have struggled to find the balance and peace I so crave. It has been a fairly busy period for me, with plenty of changes on the horizon; I will be making three temporary moves over the next four months, before finally emigrating to the other side of the world in the New Year. Amidst packing and preparing visa paperwork – I also have a 50th birthday and three weddings to attend in the next eight days, two of which I am bridesmaid for, and the third requiring a trip to Spain (not that I’m complaining about spending a fabulous time with great friends and a week in the Mediterranean!) But my point is, whilst all of this is very exciting to me – I have found that when attempting to meditate, my mind has diverted to the long list of ‘to do’s’. Whilst I haven’t strayed from my daily meditation practise during this time – I have struggle to ‘switch off’ from my busy schedule. This has left me feeling depleted and, needless to say, a little overwhelmed.
That is, until I discovered Deepak and Oprah’s 21 Day Meditation Challenge. Sometimes all that is needed is a fresh approach to meditation. I even took some of my meditations outside and listened to them whilst laying in the park surrounded by nature (instead of boxes!!!) The fresh air, the sound of the birds singing, the butterfly that alighted beside me as I sat and observed my surroundings, Deepak’s soothing wisdom; all this allowed me to rediscover that magical place again, where mind, body and soul connect. A place where everything else just falls away. I already feel a fundamental shift in perspective. I am much more able to cope with the demands of the day and I have eliminated the unnecessary things that were causing me to feel overwhelmed. Deepak and Oprah reminded me that so many of us are caught up in ‘doing’ rather than ‘being’ that as a result, the joy of the present moment becomes lost and overlooked in our bid to ‘get things done’. We forget to express our gratitude for the simplest of things, and life soon becomes a struggle.
If, like I was, you are feeling overwhelmed, or simply wish to switch up your meditation practice, maybe you are new to meditating and want to give it a go, you can sign up for the 21 Day Meditation Challenge here. Unfortunately, the meditations are time sensitive and the challenge is currently on Day 8. However, you can pick up from Day 5 if you begin now. Each guided meditation is available for up to 5 days after its release. Even if you have missed some, you are invited to focus on a new mantra and message of focus with each passing day, so there is no need to feel that you can’t begin part way through!
In love and light,
Namaste xx
Dear Dad 