This might sound counterintuitive to everything we’ve learned about meditating, but a girl’s gotta give herself a break.
The
true test of success in meditation is whether you can manage to transfer it, somehow,
to your everyday life. Now, of course, I've completely made this up, but it feels as though it has to be true.
It’s not about whether you can sit still or breathe deeply or relax or slow down. It’s about syncing up your body and mind - if just for a moment – a little bit every day.
With this in mind, here are the top 7 things I’ve learned over the last 40 days, and which I plan and hope to integrate into the rest of my day-to-day life.
1.
Make meditation your own. Do it wherever and whenever it works for you, whether on the bus or in your living room. Also, candles help a lot with the latter, but best avoid it for the former.
2. If you’re breathing and focusing at least partially on that breath (even if you’re also thinking about lunch), then you are meditating. It’s as simple as that.
3. Sometimes there will be no words to accurately describe your meditation. The best way to get around this is to just make up your own; Webster will catch up with “zen-y-nous” and “medis” when the time is right.
4. Eventually your mind will wander from breathing to making out the accent of your guide, to contemplating your awareness of human existence. Let it happen. Enjoy watching it happen.
5. Make time for your practice when it feels like taking a recess in the middle of your day. Skip it when you recognize that fitting it in will give you more stress than any amount of focused breathing can dismantle. Be happy with yourself either way.
6. Whenever possible, meditate with a puppy nearby. Meditation and puppy cuddles go together like hot yoga and spiced Moroccan tea. You know what I’m talking about.
7. Laugh. Don’t take yourself too seriously, and always find the humor in things like figuring out the
best/least awkward sitting position or whatever pops into your crazy, wandering brain.
Well, that’s all for me folks. Thanks for taking this journey with me and thanks for reading (mom).
Till next year – same time, same place.
Sarah Canzer from Montreal, Quebec
With a background in the comedy business, a bachelor's degree in political science and a passion for skiing, Sarah Canzer is as eclectic as they come. An avid athlete, her interest in health and wellness peaked a few years ago after she learned how to regain her strength following major surgery. She was born, raised, educated and is working in Montreal, and lives with her lovely fiancé and incredibly energetic puppy.
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