Meditation - my experience
My experience with formal and spot meditations
When I started to meditate, many years ago, I started with formal practice of sitting in silence for a period of time, between 10 minutes and an hour, regularly. My formal practice (10 minutes or more at a time) was great, particularly during and directly after finishing my practice….. and up until interacting with anyone else in the world! I found this state of bliss I had experienced and continued to feel the effects of disappeared as soon as I had a triggering interaction at work – often the first email I opened (I stopped checking them on the train on the way into work), or it could be in a meeting or other interaction in the work place. I found, for me, it wasn’t enough to keep me present, grounded in myself and aligned with that calm, peaceful experience I wanted to carry throughout my day. It wasn’t enough to get me through busy, stressful days without still being overly stressed. I found it took a long time to build this buffer from a formal practice and the buffer was often not enough, for me, to keep me from being triggered and experiencing the negative effects of this.
When I started incorporating spot meditations into my day – short, opportunistic, and also referred to as ‘micro’ meditations I was able to draw on these practices when I was triggered and this helped. I also found as I continued to practice these little and often they would come to me/be available to me when I was triggered.
This is why I start with ‘spot meditations’ (10 seconds to 2 minutes or more) where you find opportunities for pauses in your day, to practice. Spot meditations allow a release of the ‘pressure valve’, taking you out of your busy mind for just a moment or two and giving your nervous system an opportunity to shift gears into a more relaxed state.
Time and time again I hear people tell me how much more energy they have from starting spot meditations in their day and how they are more present in meetings and catch themselves before reacting to triggers. The ability to respond consciously, rather than react before realising what you’ve said or done, comes from meditating and being mindful. You don’t need to do it for long periods of time to notice the benefits. Short meditations help you regulate your emotions, make conscious decisions, and improve focus. A bonus is your relationships will benefit as a result. Little and often is my recommendation.
Our Mindfulness Meditation Course is for individuals, or groups, workplace teams or family and friends. ‘Taste of Meditation’ sessions are also available, along with customised sessions to suit you or your group’s needs.
Along with Meditation courses, workshops & programs, we offer Individual Coaching in Mindfulness Meditation and Wellness at Corporate workplaces and by phone. Our weekly Yoga and Meditation classes are currently in Mentone, Bayside Melbourne.