In the past, I’ve felt kind of foolish every time I’ve tried morning meditation.
I kind of tried to keep with a regular practice but it just wasnt working for me.
Not only that, but the stress has been affecting my workouts.
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And so that make this new practice a habit, I need it to be convenient.
I reached out toRalph De La Rosa, a meditation expert and instructor at MNDFL.
), as well as improving my athletic performance.
Courtesy of Emily Abbate
(More on that in a second.)
To do this, simply let your exhales exit the body in a relaxed manner.
Then, allow there to be a relaxed gap at the end of exhale and stay present for it.
Courtesy of Emily Abbate
It might be half a second, it might be a few seconds, just let it be.
Allow the next inhale to start on its own, almost as a surprise.
Allow the breath to find its own rhythm, he explains, and honor the pauses between each breath.
Armed with my instructions, I decided to try meditating first thing in the morning every day before work.
My mind was racing about what I was going to do as soon as I was finished.
I pushed through it, but I dont think I was doing it right.
De La Rosa had warned me that this feeling is something that a lot of first-timers experience.
On day two, I noticed I felt less stressed after my meditation stint.
Instead of feeling overwhelmed by the laundry list of tasks ahead of me, things felt attainable.
I was seeingand feelingthe payoff, and thats when it started to clickmeditation was something worth making time for.
I actually stopped, dropped, and meditated (for a second time!)
after putting away three bags of groceries that evening.
This is especially important for newbies like myself to remember.
Making it part of my start-of-day routine was crucial to my success.
Five minutes to a better me?
Of course I have time for that.
