When I was at the Sourland Mountain Preserve the other week, I was struck by this tree with some sort of fungus? moss? well, growth.
There is just something about it that I find really beautiful (and this one hasn’t been played with in PhotoShop). I can’t put my finger on it, but it’s one of my favorite pictures from that day. There’s something about it that I find almost soothing or calming.
I’ve indicated in other posts that I’m often thinking about stress and how to deal with it. An idea I’ve toyed with before that keeps coming back to me is that of trying to meditate every day (okay, almost every day). Pretty much everything I read about meditation describes it in terms of all benefits (people who meditate are healthier, more resilient, more focused, more pretty much every freaking thing I’d like to be…) with no nasty side effects.
On the one hand it’s so simple…set aside some time, sit down, close your eyes, and breathe. And yet, it’s something I’ve found difficult to do in the past between finding the time, sitting still, and feeling that I’m not “doing it right.” Also, there’s maybe a bit of what I’ll call a hippy-dippy factor (ie, I can see myself saying “while I was running on the treadmill this morning…” but not “right before I sat down to meditate this morning…”) But, then my mind goes back to the purported benefits/no side effects, which makes me think, gee wouldn’t it be nice if maybe I didn’t get worked up by so many things and could take a step back and a deep breath before acting.
So, as I was contemplating this along with my birthday the other week, I thought I’d give it another whirl…and maybe rather than having a bunch of resolutions come January 1, I’ll focus on this one (but of course, we’ll see). I think it’s important. I’m not going to change just by wanting to (although that helps).
Since time is a factor for me between running around in the morning (my preferred time to do this) and knowing that trying to be still for more than 10 minutes will drive me nuts, I decided to start by using an app called headspace (from www.getsomeheadspace.com). If you have any interest in meditation, I’d recommend looking at it, particularly some of the animated introductory videos about what meditation does for you. At this point, I’m using the 10 free guided meditations each morning. There is a subscription service to buy packages and access to the rest of the site. I don’t know if I’ll do that, but am happy with the trial and the fact that the app includes meditation timers for if you want to go out on your own.
At this point, I’m only on day 6. Largely these guided meditations are the same. Sit down, close your eyes, breathe, scan your body, notice surroundings, breathe, let your mind wander. This makes sense since the idea (I think) is to acclimate you to meditation so you can go out on your own.
It’s only been 6 days in for me, but I find I’m enjoying the sitting and breathing and I’m hoping if I keep it up, that I’ll start to notice that I am experiencing those benefits. We’ll see. I’ll probably try to check in from time to time about it on this blog.
Have you tried meditation? If so, how’d that work out for you?
zo, congrats on recognizing that you want to do something to deal with how you handle stress, and then putting the plan in motion. that is a tough step to get to!
i’d love to hear how you do with the meditation – since today is november 1st, it’s a perfect november project for you (??). all the best. i agree that meditation is a good thing to include in our daily routines. i sometimes take a few minutes for deep breaths (counting in, counting out) which is calming.
thanks for sharing the link to the guides, too.
Yes, anything that is calming (or helps you pause before jumping in) is a good thing. I think planning to catch up at the end of November is a good idea. Of course, I missed yesterday and today (so far) but plan to pick it up again tomorrow. I’d like to try to set aside the time every day…but I just didn’t find it.
Zo, first of all I love the photo…I’ve seen trees like that and they’re definitely intriguing. I’ve meditated before and in fact started again this week. Today will be day 4 for me. I like first thing in the morning so I’m going to try to do my posts the afternoon before so that I’m clear first thing in the morning. I’m going to check that site. Good luck. Check in with me and let me know how you’re doing!
Yes, I thought it was funny that you wrote about meditation earlier this week. Must be something in the air!
I have never been able to stick with meditation, but at times have used it. I would definitely be someone who would benefit from guided so thanks! I think the closest I come is when I finally let go of some stress in a good hike.
I love photos from serene places and experiences too!
I like to think that when I run it has a meditative effect, but I thought I’d give the actual “sit still and breathe” practice a try.
Happy late birthday! I’ve tried meditation lots of times and I have found that what works best for me is guided meditations that I can download on my ipod and then listen to when I’m outside (or usually laying in bed or on the floor). I’ve also found that yoga is a really meditative practice for me, and I can usually meditate the best right after a solid hour of yoga practice.
Thanks, Alex. I do like listening to the ones in the app…I use my phone. I should poke around and see what I can find for my iPod. Thanks for giving me the idea.
Yoga is also something I’ve tried but can never quite get into…I’d like to since again, there are supposed to be so many benefits, but somehow it never happens!
We have trees like that all over South Mountain reservation too! I hear so much about how awesome meditation is but don’t seem to make time for it either. Hope it sticks for you!