Integrating Meditation into my Life - Part 2

Finding my Why to meditation

Following on from my last blog, here is part 2, where I start to use meditation on a daily basis to help me focus on purpose (even just for the day) and gain more inner satisfaction

The Chopra Center meditation classes (and ultimately my certification as an instructor) that I shared with you in Part 1, were my springboard and I jumped on and then off it with enthusiasm. I began incorporating meditation into my morning routine. Some days it would only be a quick 5 minutes of quiet breathing. Setting my intentions for the day and opening my heart to feel the gratitude for all that I have and all that I will receive in the day. I was doing a lot of traveling at that time for work. I was leading large teams through very stressful projects with tight deadlines and multiple opportunities for failure. So I’m sure you can imagine the stress and pressure that I was experiencing. What I noticed, and what others often commented on, was that even when faced with irate customers, broken build, missed deadlines, I remained calm and focused on the positive. I would rally the necessary team members, we’d huddle in a room, work through the issues, identify the solutions and then present it to the client for final approval. All things that I had done previously, but this time I found that I rarely got ruffled (I can’t say ‘never’, because I am still human after all) and I had tremendous energy without the use of caffeine or sugar. My mind was clear and I was able to accomplish more productive work than I had ever been able to in the past.

Greater Intuition – Listening to my gut:

My new found meditation practice also allowed me to tap into my intuition in a much more profound way than ever before. While I have always been fairly intuitive, I would often second guess my ‘gut instinct’ usually to my detriment. However, through learning how to quiet my thoughts, focus my mind and energy, breathe effectively and tap into my inner wisdom, I learned to trust my intuition in a way that I never had before. I felt guided and supported in my decisions to do the right thing, communicate more clearly and think more positively. This enabled me to realize my value that I bring to a team or organization and ultimately gave me the confidence to negotiate a salary that I believe recognizes my value and contribution.

Meditation has also enabled me to be more empathetic towards others and I’ve learned to better observe my internal feelings and reactions when faced with a stressful situation or a challenging conversation. As I stated before, I’m still human and have definitely not reached the Dalai Lama level of life. I am still learning what my triggers are and by whom. Meditation allows me to go inside and really explore what makes me tick so that I can better interact with others and have more meaningful and productive relationships.

Machu Picchu, Peru Dec 2017

Machu Picchu, Peru Dec 2017

A transformation of my life

I incorporate meditation into everything that I do. That doesn’t mean that I need to take 5 minutes before every meeting (although sometimes it does help). My morning routine includes a 20-30 minute meditation practice. Sometimes I use a guided program and sometimes I sit quietly, breathe deeply and mentally chant my primordial sound mantra. Sometimes I have really profound experiences and sometimes it’s just a really nice way to start the day. Regardless of what each individual meditation experience is like, the overall transformation that this practice has had on my life is immeasurable. I am more joyful, grateful, adventurous, confident and in love with life, then I have ever been. I tap into my intuition daily and allow it to guide me in any major decisions or activities.

I encourage you to explore meditation and find a technique that works for you. There are many options out there and ultimately, they all lead to similar outcomes - less stress, better sleep, improved health, improved relationships, calmer mind, clearer, positive thoughts and possibly a more adventurous spirit.