Meditating

Meditating.

I was introduced to meditation due to my illness - the Chronic Fatigue Syndrome - given that my system is basically fried. I can’t handle stress. Minimal stress has a huge impact on my system; I start to have terrible muscle pain (in the neck and the trapeziums), fell absolutely exhausted and terrible. Think of my “stress handle system” as a glass which is already full of water - even a single drop will cause a leak.

I started to mediate 2 years ago, before going to bed. I progressively refined my meditation to suit my daily routine and my exact problems - mostly stress from work and this constant feeling that I am not safe (not in the sense that people somebody else will rob me or hurt me). The first time I started to mediate I started with one minute. Really, that’s what it takes to start (and you don’t have to increase that to have fabulous results). One minute a day. Now, I do 15 minutes on some days, but most days I do five. If you want to start meditating.

SCHEDULE YOUR DAY. And actually follow through with it!

What does the calendar of a top performing fortune 500 CEO look like?
THEIR DAY IS PACKED! Lots of meetings, lots of events.

Most people don’t do this! They just randomly do stuff during the day, there is no real strategy and no measurable progress.

STOP WAKING UP LIKE AN ACCIDENT. When I say accident I mean that your day gets blown away like a leaf in the wind. When we don’t actually strategize the day, we are basically ‘hoping’ that things will work out, that we’ll perform on the level that we want to.

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It’s so simple. Sit down, at the end of your day, and look at your day ahead:

1. What can you do to move one step closer to your goal?
2. What are the best ways to INVEST your time? (Not spend it)
3. Who do you need to talk to make faster progress?

It’s really no big secret, you decide what you’re going to do, and then you actually do it. You may have to make alterations the next day, you may have to tweak some things, but you’ll be aware and conscious of what you’re doing, and this is valuable beyond measure by itself.

It’s also extremely important to treat the appointments you set with yourself as immensely valuable. When you treat your own time as valuable, others will too.

Stress relief:

During Christmas last year when I had a few days off, I decided to try yoga at home. After my 1st day of practice, my head felt lighter, like the stress I didn’t even know I was carrying around, was finally melting away.

Energy:

My energy levels shot up. Usually, I’d be tired by 5–6pm after returning from work. Not anymore. I actually had the energy to go home and cook and do other things.

Concentration:

I could focus more while I was at work. I realized this difference on days when I did yoga in the morning and days I didn’t. I was less distracted and more productive on days I did.

Weight/fat loss:

My body started toning. My arms became slimmer and I lost fat on my thighs, stomach etc. I noticed my body becoming leaner overall.

Back pain:

My husband suffered from back pain. Within the first week, his back pain almost disappeared. He realized that the pain begins to surface back when he misses yoga for a couple of days, and reduces immediately after he resumes.

Breathing:

This sounds weird, but it became easier to take deep breaths. Somehow my lungs could take in more air than before.

Above all, the happiness that you feel when their face brightens up with a smile is inexplicable.