How Meditation Changed My Life.
In 2015, I was wrestling with chronic fatigue and puzzled by why. I had a steady job. I was an active CrossFit Athlete and physically appeared to be in great shape. My nutrition was dialed in with a regular cooking schedule and packed lunches. I had love in my life and a strong relationship with my family and friends.
I visited my doctor as part of my annual physical, during which I shared my symptoms: constant fatigue despite a solid night’s sleep, concentration issues at work, a loss of romantic interest at home and a decline in my fitness performance. What was going on?
My doctor ran a few tests and saw chronically elevated levels of cortisol. Cortisol is your stress hormone and is good in moderate amounts. However, constantly being under stress is not healthy for your body. I allowed my stress to go unmanaged to the point where I was borderline pre-diabetic.
My doctor suggested supplements to alleviate some of the stress. However, I knew this wouldn’t be a long-term solution. I began researching ways to manage stress. This is when I discovered meditation.
My practice started off as five minutes to myself, three times a week. I closed my eyes and just took notice of what was happening. I found this to be boring and uneventful. I knew there was more to discover.
I began researching and exploring more: I purchased guided meditations with Deepak Chopra and Oprah, I took a four-day mantra meditation course, and embarked on a 10-Day Silent Meditation Retreat to learn the Vipassana body scan meditation. Through these experiences, my practice and understanding grew.
Formal training is something I would highly recommend to beginners as oftentimes I hear: “meditation doesn’t work for me” when one is trying to do it on their own through an app. An app is no substitute for a live teacher and classroom experience but a great post-program support tool.
During the evolution of my practice, I began to notice some beautiful changes in my life. I found myself more focused at work. I became even kinder to people in my life, including strangers. I wasn’t catching colds or getting sick. My eyesight and vision improved. I wasn’t breaking out with pimples as frequently. My athletic performance was better. Last but not least, I began to notice improvements in my sleep quality–this one took months.
When I went back for my next annual physical, I was pleased to hear I was in much better shape with no concerns for being pre-diabetic. Meditation was the biggest contributor. It was the newest and biggest change in my daily habits. This truly showed me how much power stress can have over your wellbeing.
My practice has evolved over the years. I went from performing the same body scan meditation technique twice a day to being able to tune into my intuition to see what would serve best at the moment. Some mornings I wake up and choose to make my first practice lying down. On other days, I choose a walking meditation. I’ve developed this incredible sense of trust and peace, even when times are challenging because of my practice.
People often tell me how I keep them calm with my presence. Meditation has made such a difference for me that I became inspired to share what I learned with my office. Fast forward to now, I’m honored to step into the role of Global Lead for the Mindfulness Team at my company to make an even bigger impact globally!
I’m often asked for advice on how one may habituate a practice. My wisdom would include:
Schedule a regular time for practice and be consistent. My first practice is on the bus ride to the gym before my morning workout. My second practice is in the office with my colleagues at 3 PM.
Downloading an App to support you with a guided teacher or timer. I like InsightTimer because it’s free and there are both options. I normally just use the timer and what I like is being able to see when my other friends are meditating, and send them some gratitude with a quick push of a button.
Take a formal course to learn from a teacher, even if it’s a recording! There is a full range of offerings from a couple of minutes a day to multi-day programs. Part of my mission is to make meditation accessible to everyone whether it’s an Intro Session, Drop-In Session or a longer course spanning multiple weeks.
Remember that meditation isn’t about clearing the mind. Having a “busy minded” meditation isn’t worse than having a “calm minded” meditation. We are not striving for a specific outcome but rather a willingness to be with our present moment experience.
Ultimately each person is unique and has their own environment and circumstances, I encourage people to do what works best for them.
Last enhanced on October 30, 2019.
