What I learned
My History with Meditation
Revisiting Meditation in 2022
4 Impactful Mediations
Conclusion

In September, I participated in a 30-day meditation challenge. 

My History With Meditation

I started meditating as a teenager to deal with my emotions and grief after the passing of a close friend and later, schoolmates. I  wanted a private way to direct my thoughts and energy, remember those who passed, have gratitude for my life, and manifest my future. Before bed, I would light candles, close my eyes and sit for a few minutes. I didn’t know what meditation was at this time, but alas, I was doing some form of it. 

Shortly after this, I became interested in yoga. Through yoga, I was formally introduced to meditation. Many years after that, a doctor recommended meditation to me as a way to slow down my active mind. I meditated here and there for small bits of time throughout college, usually alone and usually in silence.

In Spain, my roommate and I would meditate together. It was a new experience for me to mediate with someone else and I enjoyed it and learned a lot from her and the experience. We would experiment with meditating with various colors of noise, like brown pink, white, and grey. Almost daily, one of us would ask the other to meditate and it was nice to have that accountability. We would meditate anywhere from 5 to 20 minutes in each other’s rooms, the living room, and even once while waiting for the metro. 

There were times I would fall out of the habit of meditation. I prefer to meditate in the morning and if I didn’t, when the hours of the day would fly by, it was more challenging to find a moment to meditate.

Revisiting Mediation in September 2022

My cousin, Annie, invited me to join her on the meditation challenge she facilitated. (You can find her at anniemsimon.com) I was beginning my yoga and meditation teacher training and I felt called to join. This challenge was a bit different for me because it started at 8 in the morning while I was in California and then at 5 PM when I went to Spain. This was also new for me because I was not used to a group or guided meditation.

Although 8 AM was difficult the first few days, it truly got easier faster than I would have imagined. I appreciated starting my day with this routine in California and continuing in Spain. Having the daily meditations helped me readjust to being back in Spain, and was super lovely to continue to see the mini-community we had built (including my aunt who was in the group as well). We would sometimes chat before and then reflect on the session together afterward.  

When I say I love a good challenge, I mean it. Although the meditations were recorded in case we missed a session, I wanted to be there presently. I joined in sessions while on the metro, train, and walking. After starting work and my master’s it has been difficult to find the time to do anything but work and so I had the “now or never” mentality when it came to the mediation. 

This also led me to realize that showing up a little every day even can be more important than waiting until you feel like you have the time. I saw that I could make time for the things that were important to me. Once I started noticing my ability to stay calm and present at the moment, this practice carried even more weight in my life. For example, when I was on my way to catch a train, I got soaked in a torrential downpour. It was the cab driver’s fault as he didn’t want to let me out in the correct spot. Instead of letting this ruin my day and be angry and upset, I was able to be present, breathe, and move past the anger and ultimately enjoyed my day before my clothes even dried completely (although if I had been wearing jeans this could have been a different story entirely).

The Most Impactful Meditations

4 mediations, in particular, stood out to me. 

The first was the third day of meditation. I decided to try to journal along with meditating daily but ultimately I wasn’t as consistent with it as I would have liked. However, on day two I wrote that recently (being 8 months without drinking) I realized that I have felt so much more present in my life and that I wanted to continue feeling this way. The next day, we had a mantra about being present. Although this is a common mantra, it felt perfect for me on that day. 

The second was about cloud visualization. We visualized our thoughts as clouds drifting by. This meditation was particularly interesting to me because near the end, I started thinking about how other people’s clouds may have looked in the group. I imagined all the possible different colors and shapes of the clouds as well as the sky. My sidetracked thoughts made me acutely aware of the community aspect of group meditation and it felt very special to me.

The most enlightening meditation for me was the one where we picked our mantra. The mantra “I am safe” came to mind immediately. I tried to change it to something more interesting but my mind was focused on this mantra and I decided to go with it. I didn’t even realize I felt unsafe before doing this mediation. As a foreigner living abroad, many small things feel monumental. For example, each year I have to renew my visa and identification card and before things are squared away, I feel so unstable. Reminding myself that I am safe was such a powerful affirmation. 

And finally, the recorded walking meditation. On the weekends we listened to recorded meditations. This day, I walked to a park that I have been to many times but this time, I stopped and smelled the roses. Usually, I’m listening to music or podcasts and so it was a different experience to just walk around and be present to take in everything that was around me. It was a unique experience that ended in a garden with flowers in full bloom. I felt grateful and peaceful. 

Here are some things that I learned about myself :

• I love a good challenge (and don’t give up easily).
• Hard things get easier the more you do them (it’s called practice for a reason).
• After meditation, I can feel energized even if I am tired during it.
• Having a calm mind allows me to be more present, deal with problems, and understand my emotions more easily. 
• Being able to control my mind and thoughts allowed me to focus on listening to my body and my own needs.
• I can consistently show up on time for things.
• I can make time for the things I care about and find important. 
• Showing up a little every day even when I’m not at 100% can be more important than waiting to try things until I am. (It’s more important to show up as you are than only show up when you feel your best.)
• Meditation is beneficial even when I don’t do it perfectly.
• I love being a part of a wellness community with others who are trying to better themselves. 
• I love the accountability to show up that comes with being in a group. 
• I appreciate a good routine, especially in the morning. 

In Conclusion

Overall the month of mediation was incredible for me. I feel rejuvenated in my practice and inspired to continue my meditation and yoga teacher training. In the days since, I have continued meditating whether it’s 5 minutes in the morning or when I have a quick break at work. I hope to always be fortunate enough to be a part of a wellness community and to have the ability to make my own where there isn’t one.

Meditation is for everyone. Anyone can meditate and experience the benefits of incorporating this practice into their life. For new meditators, I recommend starting off slow or with a shorter amount of time and working up to longer sitting periods. I think 5 minutes can be a great starting point, although 8 is my personal sweet spot. I also recommend trying different styles of meditation to find one that aligns with you.

And now, I’m off to meditate.