How to have less stress, more time, and look better

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Seeing the sun come up outside my window one early morning as I'm meditating.

Seeing the sun come up outside my window one early morning as I'm meditating.

I LOVE to meditate.  I started meditating on and off around 2005 (I don’t remember exactly when, it could have been earlier as I became curious about Buddhism in 2003).  Yet, it was not until 2012 that I really became dedicated, starting my day with 45 minutes to 1 ½ hours of meditation (yes, 1 ½ hours! At times I would wake up at 5:30 a.m. to make it work with my schedule).  The impact on my life has been tremendous.  Nothing that I have done has had as great of an impact… It has had a more positive impact than exercising and improving my diet! Here’s how my life has improved:

  1. I have a lot less stress in my life. This is not because less stressful things happen now.  Or that now there are no stressful things that happen.  If anything, now that I’m starting my own business, you could say I have different, sometimes more intense, stressors.  Yet, since beginning to mediate it is all about how I handle stress. It just doesn’t get to me like it used to.  I am now (1) more able to see a stressful situation from a different perspective and (2) more likely to choose how I want to handle this stressful situation (versus being on auto-pilot and defaulting to panic, anxiety, depression, etc.).  Different perspective + choice in response = a lot less stress!
  2. I have more time in my day.  I am SO much more efficient.  After an amazing meditation session, I can do a task twice (if not more) as fast.  And now, because I’ve been meditating consistently for a while, I don’t even have to have a meditation session in order to access this level of resourcefulness.  During really busy days, all I have to do is take a few minutes to focus on my breath, and I’m able to go to that place of stillness that I’ve practiced going into…and in very little time I’m bringing my A game to any situation!
  3. I look better. My skin looks better.  I look more relaxed.  I look happier, more content.  And I swear that I look younger! Enough said.
  4. I don’t get sick as often. I went two years without getting sick once.  Not once!  Not even a mild cold.  Do you know how much more productive that made me?  My amazing streak was interrupted this past winter, when I got a cold while on a retreat.  It was so strange to be sick…Since I hadn’t been sick in two years, I actually forgot what to do! I eventually found tissues and airborne :)  Can you actually top this benefit?! 
  5. It’s easier for me to give love. I have to admit: sometimes it’s hard to love.  When someone is intentionally pushing our buttons, how can we actually choose love over giving them a peace of our mind??? Meditation has made it easier for me to pause and practice compassion.  If someone is saying hurtful things…well that’s just not a happy person.  Hurt people want to hurt people.  With meditation I’ve learned to slow down, be mindful, and practice more compassion (though I have to admit, I’m still very much a work in progress!).    

All of this sound pretty awesome right!?  So how do you start meditating? Check out my next blog in a couple of days and I’ll give you my go-to steps!

Lots of love,

Judith