My Meditation Practice

I had been wanting to try meditating for a long time. I tried different apps and audio recordings. Most would focus on quietening your mind.

The more I was trying to quieten my mind, the more random thoughts I was having and the more frustrated I was getting. So, after quite a few attempts, I gave up.

In February 2019, I came across a video from The Betty Rocker (I'm a big fan) through my emails where Bree (founder of The Betty Rocker) was interviewing Emily Fletcher, a meditation teacher who designed her own meditation method.

I listened, completely entranced and hanging to her every word. At the end of the interview, she demonstrated her meditation method and I followed along. At the end of it, there is just no words to describe what I felt. A bit like a heavy load that had lifted off my shoulders and my spirit, even if ever so slightly. But it made all the difference for me.

I decided to search on Youtube for other Emily Fletcher videos - her seminar at Google is just so inspiring - and pre-ordered her book "Stress Less, Accomplish More". That really resonated with me.

To me, the goal was to accomplish more in my personal life, as I felt that my work life was taking over the rest of my time and all my energy. I wanted to be able to do more in my free time, enjoying it more and not let the stress of work eat me alive.

In her book, Emily guides you through a basic version of her meditation method, called Ziva. I religiously did it for a few weeks, then got curious and visited her website to find out more about the ZivaOnline class. I discovered that Emily has taught many high-performance individuals, such as CEOs, performers and, last but not least, the great Oprah Winfrey. Well, I don't know about you, but if it's good enough for Oprah, it's good enough for me!

The book version got me hooked to the method but I deeply felt I needed to find out more so I took the plunge - I signed up for Ziva Online.

It is not cheap, I grant you, but payment plans are available - which was the only way for me to ever get access to such a class. I have been paying my class for the last 6 months.

The class is actually 15 days long, where Emily guides you gently through the method, so that, little by little, it becomes a part of you.

For the last 6 months, 20 minutes twice a day, I have been meditating the Ziva way. I have learnt that, during meditation, thoughts are not the enemy, but stress coming out of your body to give it deep rest.

The meditation practice has given me more flow, even if I still do get stressed on occasions, I am managing it better on the moment - I will still swear though!
I have learnt to let it out of my body and my mind so that it doesn't damage me.

My mantra - personally chosen mind vehicle through the meditation - helps me guide my meditation session to the good flow I need at that particular moment, relaxing my body completely - it sometimes feels like I am falling into a deep sleep and, on occasions, especially at the beginning, I did fall off my sofa, which was quite funny - to my son at least!

My meditation practice is so part of me now that if I miss only one session, I get terrible headaches - which is not good for me as I am prone to migraines, so headaches are never good news. This is another incentive to keep my practice regular.

My meditation practice is part of my routine, an integral part of my life and a genuine need for me to feel at peace, accepting and efficient.

My meditation practice is non-negotiable and my son quickly realised that as, I think, he did notice at some point that it made me more relaxed, more receptive and that I was shouting at him less - which, I'm sure he greatly appreciated.

As a single mum with a teenage boy, I found it hard dealing with rebellious, moody and challenging behaviour - talking back and ordering me as if I were his slave - and, I'm not ashamed to say, that I lost patience a lot more than once, shouting and sometimes even giving him the silent treatment.

He was barely talking to me at one point, and that deeply hurt me. I felt so alone. I felt I was losing him.

Maybe a month after I started my meditation practice, I realised that I was more patient, more diplomatic in my way of dealing with him and he started talking to me - about his day, the video games he was playing, the music he was listening to and, little by little, we started communicating and having a more open relationship.

My meditation practice made me a cooler mum (or at least not such the hag I used to be in my son's eyes!)

My meditation practice saved my relationship with my son, saved my sanity, and made me stop and think about my life choices. It has opened my mind to my true capabilities and genuine possibilities life can offer.

I can even go back to meditation apps and manage to somewhat clear my mind to give my mind deep rest for a few minutes. It is all about where you decide to place your focus.

My meditation practice has done - and still does - so much for me, and I'd be damned if I'd stopped it any time soon.

For me, it is a life commitment, a gift you give yourself every day to be happy and at peace.