My Meditation Journey

I’ve been mentioning meditation in many of my blog posts. It has become essential in my daily life. My husband and friends even see a difference in me. So I wanted to take the time to share my meditation journey – how I got started and where I am today.

As some may know, I traveled to India to study yoga in 2014. I was barely 25 and not yet affected by the world around me. I lived day by day as if I had the world in the palm of my hand. Nothing ever seemed far-fetched or out of reach to me.

author at the beginning of her meditation journey

I studied yoga intensively for a whole month, coupled with meditation. I followed my teachers but never felt like I was doing it right. Maybe I didn’t understand the concept or wasn’t looking for particular mind control at the time.

Outside of taking yoga classes, I didn’t continue meditating.

Fast forward to 2023. I won’t say I’m jaded by the world, but I’m very much adulting with a husband and child. Not only are the way I live and make choices different, but my body and mind as a person are, as well.

I felt like I needed to regain power over my thoughts. I wanted to be more happy-go-lucky again and not be affected by the status of my kitchen sink. So I did what any sane housewife would do and started chanting alone in my closet during my son’s nap time. I’m joking!

How I got started on my meditation journey

When I was starting out, I just knew it was going to be good for me. I didn’t know why or what I was doing. I read that if you train your mind, like a dog, to sit, it will. So I went with it.

I set a timer for 5 minutes and tried to sit still and quietly. It’s weird when you start. Your mind is going in a million directions, and feeling defeated is very easy. Before I knew it, my timer went off.

So the next day, I did 8 minutes because I thought if I had just a little more time I could quiet my mind. I focused on the sound of the air conditioner. It was soft and constant.

Somewhere in my 8 minutes, I felt peace. I can’t say how long my mind was ever quiet, but possibly seconds at a time. The important thing to me was the fact I could shoo away thoughts I was not interested in. Even when more kept coming, I was able to dismiss them.

I started with silent meditations for 5 or 8 minutes at a time. Then I tried a few guided meditations, breathing exercises, and yoga. These are especially helpful when you are feeling more stressed or worked up.

The challenges

It took a lot of practice and time to make it to where I am now. There was a time of emotional cleansing. I was confronting so many thoughts – even when dismissed, I was left feeling more emotional than usual.

Sometimes I never felt like I quieted my mind, and this would upset me or stress me out.

a happy mom in holding her child in the air surrounded by nature

Then I began to notice the difference in myself throughout the day when I did meditate vs. when I did not meditate. This was all it took for me to keep going.

My goals

My ultimate goal now is to do 15 minutes a day when I first wake up.

My baby is my alarm clock, and he never wakes at quite the same time, so this is a difficult feat. Regardless, I always try to find a moment to quiet my mind each day.

a woman in work clothes taking a moment to meditate

Why do I want to meditate? What do I want to accomplish and what route is going to serve me best?

Initially, my goal was to gain control of my mind to boost my mood and self-esteem. I can not say I’ve accomplished this, but I have made massive steps in this direction. I want to choose happiness in all things and clarity and ease in doing so.

So my only goal was this. Take control of my thoughts.

Over time you realize all the things you are thinking about that you may not regularly notice. How flighty your mind can be and perhaps more negative than expected.