The Almighty Guide on What Do I Need to Meditate?
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Why Meditate?
When you visualize your thoughts do they resemble a million wild horses galloping out of the gates to parts unknown? The need to corral those racing thoughts might have you wondering what do I need to meditate?
You’ll find that most of what you need is already within you. However, a few suggested mindfulness meditation products might help.
Let’s make your journey coping with an empty nest more pleasant. Better yet, meditation could be the key to banishing empty nest anxiety and be just what your soul is craving.
If you find you have more time to try new self-care tips, start with a new morning routine. Want a new you? Start your day with morning meditation and you will transform your mindset.
The first thing you need is to know your intent. Why do you want to consider the practice of meditation in the first place? If you are coping with empty nest syndrome symptoms, life might seem really heavy right now.
If your intention is to lighten your mental load, meditation can get you there.
If you took a trip inside your head, what thoughts are lurking. Do any of these sound familiar?
I dedicated my whole life to raising these kids………..what’s my purpose now?
They have their own lives now and I feel left behind.
I’m super excited about my young adult’s future, mine…….not so much.
Don’t even talk to me about finding new hobbies or interests-I haven’t a clue how to go about it.
Where did all my friends go?
Why am I so bothered by this transition to an empty nest?
If any of these thoughts or feelings sound familiar, know that you are not alone.
In order to untangle your uncomfortable feelings, you first need to know your feelings. This takes awareness.
How do you increase your awareness? You embrace the stillness and silence so you can even hear your inner voice.
All of the answers are within you, but there is probably too much noise going on right now to even hear that tiny voice.
Meditation is how you become aware of what is going on inside of you.
You must become the observer of the thoughts in your own head. This is where meditation can provide a transformational change in your mindset.
Most of us never received the instruction manual on how to quiet our mind and become aware of our own thoughts.
Beware: It can be scary inside your head. You’ve got a lot going on in there! Courage is required, as well as a heavy dose of patience with yourself.
We learn to meditate to become aware of our thoughts. Why would we ever want to do that? It turns out that it is all of our thoughts about coping with an empty nest that are causing our feelings.
If we can change our thoughts, we can find the path to a joyful empty nest. The more we exude a joyous spirit, the more those we love will be drawn into our orbit. It all starts inside of our head.
So how do we get there?
How Do I Learn to Meditate?
Guided meditation is a great place to start because it provides a teacher to walk you through the steps. You can follow along with the guided meditation for relaxation found in the Practicing Mindfulness audiobook. This resource will help you understand the fundamentals of meditation.
Another great tool for a beginner is to download the Calm or Headspace app on your phone and sign-up for their free trial class. Here you will learn the skills required to get yourself into a meditative state.
Some of you might find that listening to others is distracting to you. Perhaps, you can easily get yourself into a serene and quiet headspace.
A favorite way to get started is to use these Stress Less Mindfulness Meditation Cards. These Stress Relief Cards are another brilliant choice! The cards are a whimsical and engaging way to learn meditation. Many prefer it to reading this free beginner’s guide to meditation.
What Do I Need to Meditate?
First, make sure that you have on some comfortable clothes, such as this yoga meditation t-shirt.
You will need a quiet place where you can sit upright and be comfortable. If inside, an elegant meditation mat and cushion can help lull you into a state of serenity. Alternatively, you might prefer this groovy extra-large meditation cushion.
If you are blessed to meditate outdoors in a beautiful setting, such as the beach, you might want to bring this gorgeous yoga meditation blanket.
For those ready to seriously commit to a meditation practice, the brain-based Muse 2 Headband-Meditation Tracker is a modern device that enhances your mindfulness. It’s a headband that translates brain activity into familiar weather sounds. For instance, when you lose focus you’ll hear stormy weather and when you get your focus back on track you’ll hear birds chirping! What an inspired way to keep your practice on track.
The related app allows you to challenge yourself, set goals, and track your meditation practice.The post session reporting on the app can help you pinpoint when your attention is waning.
Have poor sleeping habits? The Muse headband could be worth checking out as a strategy to improve your sleep hygiene.
What you most need is a willingness to prioritize your own self-care. Carving out ten- to twenty-minutes per day to get present with your own thoughts can be a revolutionary act.
Next, you need to NOT direct your thoughts. Just let them be. See them passing by.
Remember to take on the role of the observer. You have no opinion on your thoughts. You offer no judgments. You just observe your thoughts.
You might feel yourself getting a little twitchy when there are NO thoughts. Just silence. This can bring on some empty nest anxiety. So what do I need to meditate? A willingness to just sit with it for a bit and be patient.
What Should I Think about When I Meditate?
What should I think about when I meditate? Not much. But, if you insist……
If you feel like you are just sitting there staring off into oblivion, the six-phase meditation practice might be more your kind of thing. Some people like structure. This part is for you.
After reading the best personal development book I read this year, I started Vishen Lakhiani’s Six-Phase Meditation. These steps give a purpose to your daily practice and can improve your consistency.
The first phase is compassion. Focus on someone you intensely love and feel the warmth of your love radiate from within your body.
The second phase is gratitude. Think of three to five NEW things you are grateful for today.
The third phase is forgiveness. Yep, not my favorite phase, either. Allow yourself to feel the pain and anger. The idea is to feel your feelings and forgive into love by asking yourself the following three questions:
*What did I learn from this?
*How did this situation make life better?
*What could have happened in the past to this person that may have caused them to hurt me?
The fourth phase assumes that you have a vision for your future. You phrase the vision as a question in the present tense.
The fifth phase refers to the three most important questions revealed in The Code of the Extraordinary Mind by Vishen Lakhiani. Ask yourself, “In order for me to start achieving the items on my three most important questions list, what should I be doing today?”
The sixth phase is to receive the blessing from your Higher Power.
Starting with the Six-Phase Meditation can get you on the path to awareness and healing empty nest anxiety.
When you think of what do I need to meditate, it will surely dawn on you that the answer is not much. This is the power of meditation. You, alone with your thoughts, are the spark needed to fuel your dazzling Second Act.
Embrace meditation to increase awareness of your thoughts. You can manifest pure joy when you focus on the ones that will bring you the life you imagine in your dreams.
On a journey of self-discovery? Connect with the Act 2 Mom community and be sure to snag our free How to Identify Your Purpose workbook.
Further Reading
A Healthy Morning Routine to Jumpstart Personal Growth
Empty Your Nest and Feel Joy Again with These Easy Self-Care Tips
10 Best Ideas for Empty Nesters on How to Transform Your Mind
