How I Meditate

Mindfulness is the buzz word on everyone's lips at the moment - for a reason!  People are beginning to discover the benefits to health and personal and emotional well-being.  I've been meditating now for the last five or six years - sometimes more effectively than others, but I when I let my practice slip I feel as if something important and grounding is missing in my life and I always return to it. I really began my practice under the wonderful tuition of Lama - a Buddhist Monk who taught me the Buddhist tradition of meditation and breath work.  It all stemmed from there.

Where?
Usually sitting in bed - sometimes in the spare room and sometimes on the sofa.  As long as I'm upright and my spine is straight, my neck in line, it works.  If I lie down, chances are I fall asleep!

When?
I'd like to say that I get up at 5am to do an hour, but the reality is I don't.  I just can't wake myself up, so I tend to meditate in the evening and sometimes at my desk in the morning - even five minutes makes a difference.

What type of meditation?
Mindfulness - watching the breath.  Sometimes I chant the Buddhist chant 'om mane padme'. You can find this on You Tube and teach it to yourself. It depends what kind of mood I'm in.  Chanting is good when I'm really distracted as it calms the mind quickly.

Why?
I meditate to get more out of my day. To feel calmer and more in control, no matter what the day throws at me.  I meditate to feel connected to the 'quieter me', the observer. 

Props?
This varies - mostly nothing at all, sometimes I burn an incense stick or play quiet music.  Sometimes I light a candle.  I have several apps that I return to Calm and Anamaya are my current go-tos - they offer meditations on different things ie anxiety, creativity, sleep etc.  I also use the site Meditainment for guided visualisations and meditation.  If you sign up, each month a new guided meditation is released.