One of the questions I hear at the beginning of each meditation class is:
Why can I still hear my thoughts when I meditate?
My answer is always the same; you’re not dead; it’s really that simple.
You have a brain, and it is going to have thoughts; when it shuts off — well, you’ll be six feet under, buh-bye. The magic of meditation is seen and felt when you build enough brain muscles that you can recognize and separate your thoughts from yourself. I’ll share an example from my client Kimberly. She came to me with great anxiety yet couldn’t identify that she was living at a level 8/9 on the stress scale. She has two kids, aging parents, and a wonderful partner. She is trying to live an alcohol-free life and is also looking for what to do next with her life after the pandemic crisis that took her out of her last job.
In session six, she reported back:
“Lane, it’s working! I didn’t yell at my son for not putting away his shoes, and I totally didn’t freak out when parents started talking about Trump!”
Kimberly
She identified the pause button as the moment between her thoughts, which is not about her; it’s NOT personal! Her son not putting away his shoes has nothing to do with her, and her parent’s beliefs have nothing to do with her; they are not her. She found her ocean of yum pause and did not make the snarky comment that she heard her brain say… she didn’t act on it — in either case! She was able to recognize and separate her thoughts from her life.
BINGO. She entered the Ocean of Yum!
Meditation is a practice that you must invite yourself to — every day. No one else is going to say hey, let’s meditate… I mean, I do because I’m a teacher, but in normal day-to-day living — your son, your mother, your mail person, your daughter, or dad… is not going to say, “I have a gift I’d like to share with you, it’s called meditation.” The reality is that we only practice when we feel that we need to… aka, our pants are on fire! My marriage is falling apart, I want to quit my job, my XYZ… is making me feel… But here’s the truth we all need to practice, and we begin with the invitation to ourselves every day.
Meditation Can:
- Improves anxiety levels 60% of the time
- Reduce PMS symptoms by 57%
- Reduce the wake time of people with insomnia by 50%.
- Reduce the risk of being hospitalized for coronary disease by 87%
Ready to begin a meditation journey with me and see what happens next in your life?
OCEAN OF YUM: How Do I Meditate In Sobriety?
Resources Are Available
If you or someone you know is experiencing difficulties surrounding alcoholism, addiction, or mental illness, please reach out and ask for help. People everywhere can and want to help; you just have to know where to look. And continue to look until you find what works for you. Click here for a list of regional and national resources.
