A Quiet Space

Commit to "A Quiet Space" in your life each day.

Join the group!

Click above to join my Women's Wellness Circle:  From Inflammation to Vibrant Health as we meditate for 20 minutes each day for 21 days, during Deepak and Oprah's 21 Day Meditation Experience:  Shedding the Weight Mind Body and Spirit.

PS.  We're a nice group of women.  🙂

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This article was originally posted on April 5, 2017.  If you are newer to reading my weekly blog, you may not know that I travelled the world with my family for the 2016-17 school year.  These are my thoughts on meditation, partly related to what I learned while traveling.  Enjoy!

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We were wandering around the old town of Granada.  It's fun to get lost in these old areas, because around each corner could be a beautiful square or church.  

It's hard not to be curious about what's inside, when standing outside a huge, thick, wooden door.

Quiet garden at The Alhambra in Spain.

We ducked inside a church that was right off of a main street.  It was one of the smaller churches, but not that small.  We sat down at one of the pews for about fifteen minutes.  As we sat, people came in, crossed themselves and sat down, other people stood up and quietly left.

It was the middle of the day, it occurred to me that these people were making time in the middle of their busy day to have some quiet, contemplative time.  

​I'm guessing they spent fifteen or twenty minutes the calm, quiet, cool church, then went on with their day.

How often do most of us take time during the day to just be?

I'm not catholic, and I don't live in a city with huge churches on every corner.  

My favorite way of being still is to practice meditation.  

My practice isn't perfect.  It isn't as consistent as I would like, but I keep trying.  

Meditation is an easy way to calm your mind and reset your body.  

Quieting your mind, even for just ten minutes, can help calm your nervous system and help your body use energy more efficiently.

For beginners, the simplest form of meditation is breathing.  The goal of a breathing meditation is to allow the mind to rest from thoughts.  

Sit comfortably or lie down if that's better for you.  Concentrate on your breathing, both the inhale and the exhale, trying to bring each to the same length.

Breathe from the stomach, rather than from the chest, and allow the belly to go soft.

When a thought enters your mind, allow it to pass through, then take your attention back to your breathing.

Remember, it's called a practice because it will never be perfect and there isn't really any right or wrong way to meditate.

Meditation is most effective when practiced each day.  Set a goal of five or ten minutes a day to start, then lengthen it as you become more consistent.

I feel like I experience the most benefits when I can wake up early and practice before the rest of the household is awake, but if I can't I'll try to do it another time of day.  

​Sometimes I'll even arrive fifteen minutes early for an appointment or to pick kids up from school or activities and meditate in my car.

There are many free meditation timer apps available, or you can just use any old timer.  That way you don't have to think about the time.

​There are also guided meditations available, sometimes for free.  ​

My favorite way to get back on track with my meditation practice is the free Oprah Deepak 21-day meditation series.  They are offered several times a year and have a theme. 

I've enjoyed almost every series I've done and 21 days is a good amount of time to get a habit going! 

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The latest free 21-day meditation experience begins Monday, March 19th!

Join the Women's Wellness Circle

Click above to join my Women's Wellness Circle:  From Inflammation to Vibrant Health as we meditate for 20 minutes each day for 21 days, during Deepak and Oprah's 21 Day Meditation Experience:  Shedding the Weight Mind Body and Spirit.

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Do you have a meditation practice?  If you do, what are your tips for practicing consistently?  If you've tried and failed to practice consistently, what was hard for you.  Let's help each other out.
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Please share your thoughts in the comments below!

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