Tonight, after doing it all wrong, I threw in the towel and settled in for a mindfulness meditation. I did this along with my two kids. And I can say for sure that I was incredible mindful every second of the ten minutes that it took.
I had spent the previous two hours cleaning up dinner, rounding up lost shoes, hunting down scholastic book order forms (due tomorrow and can-we-please-get-the-eight-dollar-book-about-owls-that-comes-with-a-tiny-stuffed-owl) and the other general tasks that fill that space between dinner and bedtime. So I was grumpy and not at my best as I proceeded to oversee teeth brushing and room sharing and such. Big Sister picked up on this and said “You know what we need”? (Little sister replied proudly, “Apple Cider Vinegar! It fixes everything!”- which is another post entirely…)But she answered her own question by explaining – “We need to do a meditation”!
If you have never tried a guided meditation or any meditation I would highly recommend Deepak and Oprah’s 21 day meditation series (A new one starts on October 31, 2016 and is entirely free for the 21 day period – you can buy them to own if you so choose). I have done several of these with the kids and they almost always lull the kids to sleep. I typically feel inspired and invigorated after doing them – both of which are pretty good outcomes.
Tonight went nothing like that. I used a meditation app that I had downloaded (not the Deepak/Oprah brand) that promised a quick ten minute session on mindfulness. We made it exactly 8 seconds before I heard someone whisper my name in question. For the next nine minutes and 52 seconds I addressed questions and concerns while mimicking the soothing (Canadian?)tone of our guide. I gently urged my minions to “focus on breathing” and “relax” while personally thinking about everything from death to taxes and other inevitabilities.
Still, when it was finished I did feel a little better and a little more joyful. There is something about sharing an experience that makes me feel safer and better equipped to face challenges. I can’t say that I was more centered or had better posture, but I was mindful of the moments I had spent, engaging free and curious thinkers who are also trying to find their place. That alone was something worthy of its own mantra. .
itsgoingtotakeayear 