It’s been a while since I posted something…
That’s because this summer, I’ve been doing a lot of learning. Digging in to understand what’s weighing on people’s lives. At the end of the day, I’ve learned that EVERYONE, no matter the level of success, level of leadership, any industry, any age, any background…people just want to wake up feeling well.
In a recent workshop I led , one woman expressed “I work so hard to do everything right, and everything still feels wrong.” That was immediately followed by a question from another gentleman who asked “where did you begin, Alyson?”
You see, it wasn’t so long ago that I would wake in the morning with pain in my chest, visit the doctor’s office every few weeks, leave my house for 13 hour days, stare blankly at my children when they spoke to me, and breathe heavily whenever I walked – even if it was just two city blocks. Hey, but I was still “killin’ it” in the workplace, my bank account was full, and life was good.
When life finally crashed on me (as it inevitably will when you are being motivated by the wrong reasons) I realized I had been looking in all the wrong places for success. That’s when I knew I needed to look inside of me for some answers.
Where did I actually begin? I began to breathe…
At first I would breathe deeply because I noticed it relaxed me. What my body was really guiding me to do was meditate. And so I listened. I started to meditate – 5 mins a day, then 10, and before I knew it, everything changed from there.
Did you know that only 15% of Americans meditate? That’s mind-blowing considering all the immediate benefits that come from it. Here’s just a few…
Improves self-awareness . Your body speaks to you all day long. How often do you stop to listen what your body is saying? Aches, pains, thoughts, discomfort, intuition, emotions. Your body is your best friend, start listening to the secrets it wants to share with you. When you meditate, you train yourself to become much more aware of what’s going on with you. In just 10 mins, you will gain helpful insight that will help you make better decisions for yourself. With daily meditation, you will learn how to listen to your body all day long. Honor yourself, you deserve it.
Increases presence & focus. How often do you catch yourself scrolling through your phone when you are supposed to be working on your big project? Meditation helps overcome that. When you meditate, you teach yourself how to hold focus and remain in the moment. As you breathe, try to first observe your breath, the rise and fall of your chest, then notice the position of your entire body (any comfort or discomfort) from head to toe. Try to notice the sounds, smells, even sights (if you are maintaining a soft gaze). You will begin to notice yourself become more engaged in conversation, more focused on work, and less reliant on useless distractions to make yourself feel better.
Boosts energy & reduces anxiety. Anxiety is result of stressing about the past or future. When you are focused on the “here and now”, you redirect your attention to a live moment and therefore, reduce the feeling of anxiety. It’s that instant. We all know that anxious thoughts cause mental fatigue. Being able to lower stress will help you gain energy so that you can feel motivated to tackle family, household, and work!
Activates creativity. Meditation can churn up a ton of thoughts. That’s not surprising since our minds produce an average of 60,000 thoughts per day!!! All those thoughts rolling around in our head can use up a lot of our attention and squash creative thinking. When thoughts come up, it’s best not to ignore the thought, just acknowledge it’s there and then set it aside. When you do this, you reduce anxiety (as explained above) and you also create mental space. That space welcomes more creative thoughts, ideas, solutions, discoveries. Ever wonder why people say my best thinking happens in the shower? Now, you’ll understand why and you’ll be able to call upon this trick at any time of day.
Meditation isn’t difficult. Start by sitting still, in a comfortable position, in a relaxing setting, and breathe. Start with five mins at start or end of day and see where it takes you. Keep a journal nearby to capture any thoughts or feelings that come up – there might be some hidden messages for you!
If you are ready to feel better, CLICK HERE and let’s schedule a chat. I’ll share other techniques that can help you feel like a “FORCE OF BEAUTY” in less than 24 hours.
Until then, just breathe…
Stay well. Be beautiful…xo.
