I’m not sure what happens if YOU don’t make time for meditation. But I’ll tell you what’s likely to happen if I don’t.
When I don’t make time for meditation:
- I get flustered and annoyed over pretty much anything. Like running out of my favorite Nutpods Whole30-approved coffee creamer.
- I think more about the things that are stressing me out.
- I’m less aware of all the good things around me.
- It’s easier to lose my patience.
- I smile less and scowl more. Not a good look for Instagram photos, even with a filter.
What exactly do you mean by “meditation?”
For me, meditation is spending a few moments sitting down, in a quiet, dark or dimly lit room. It’s making time to take a few deep breaths, decompress and relax. Sometimes, I’ll journal my thoughts. But the most important part of meditation for me, is focusing my thoughts on God’s word.
I’ve found a few apps to help guide me through meditations. It helps to use apps, like Abide, or websites like Encountering Peace, where I hear a soothing voice help me slow down and meditate on the goodness of God in my life.
I love listening to and following along with prayers during these meditations. They help me calm down after a busy day. I love hearing and meditating or thinking deeply about truths that are found in God’s word, the Bible. And I love the calming effect of that soothing voice, reminding me to take deep breaths.
Breathe in the good, Exhale the bad
You probably don’t even think about how many breaths we take in throughout the day. But so many of those are “shallow,” not deep. We are so often in a constant state of “hurry up,” that just taking time to meditate and slow down our breathing, can make a huge difference in our mood.
Try it! Take a deep breath.
Breathe in God’s love, His peace, His goodness, His affections for me (that kind of sounds like a song lyric!)
And try taking another deep breath, and while you exhale:
Breathe out stress, anxiety, negative thoughts or whatever upset me that day.
I don’t know what happens if YOU don’t make time to meditate. But I know that it really helps me, at the end of the day, to end the day in peace.
Laughing (and meditating) thru life,
Coppelia