Finding yourself is not a one-time event. It’s a continuous journey that you take throughout your life. Every experience, both good and bad, teaches you something new about yourself. You learn what you’re capable of, what you want in life, and what you need to work on. The key is to always keep moving forward and never give up on yourself.
It’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day grind and forget about the big picture. But if you can take a step back and reflect on your life periodically, it will help you stay on track and prevent you from veering off course. When you find yourself at a crossroads, don’t be afraid to take the road less traveled. It may be scary, but it’s often where we find the most growth. Trust your gut and follow your heart. They’ll never lead you astray.
Meditation is one way to help us get in touch with ourselves on a deeper level. When we meditate, we strip away all the external trappings of our lives and get down to the bare essentials. We learn to focus on our breath and be present in the moment. And slowly but surely, we begin to see ourselves more clearly.
If you’re ready to get more out of life, find yourself through meditation. Carve out some time each day to sit quietly and focus on your breath. Let go of the role you play in your family, the expectations of your job, and any other external defining factors. For just a few minutes each day, allow yourself to be simply yourself. And see how that changes everything.
Meditating to Understand Yourself:
1. Turn off your phone. Being bombarded with distractions makes it challenging to get to know yourself. Block out time to unplug each day. In addition to your meditation sessions, you may want to turn off all devices at mealtimes and about an hour before bed.
2. Observe your thoughts. Use your meditation time to slow down, go deeper, and find out what’s on your mind. Notice your thoughts and feelings without becoming attached to them. You’ll notice a difference between you and your fleeting ideas and impressions.
3. Scan your body. Do you only think about your body when you’re wondering if your hips are getting wider or you’re trying to flatten your stomach? Survey yourself from head to toes. Focus on practicing good posture and loosening up. Forget about searching for flaws.
4. Examine your values. Your principles and beliefs are at the core of your being, and they help define who you are. Ensure you’re building your life around something worthwhile.
5. Analyze your motives. Are you drifting along or making deliberate choices? Meditation allows you to explore why you do things. You can break free from old habits if they’re holding you back.
6. Live mindfully. Remain fully present in between meditation sessions. Pay attention to the current moment instead of dwelling in the past or worrying about the future.
Meditating to Appreciate Yourself:
1. Practice acceptance. Embrace yourself in your totality. Give up snap judgements and harsh criticism. Remember that you are adequate just the way you are.
2. Dissolve stress. Show yourself how much you care by using meditation and other healthy methods to relieve stress. You’ll strengthen your heart, lower your risk for diabetes, high blood pressure, depression, and many other conditions.
3. Extend forgiveness. Are you holding any grudges against yourself? Grant yourself a pardon for any past mistakes. Imagine a future in which you value learning from experience instead of beating up on yourself.
4. Recognize your progress. Take stock of how far you’ve come. Celebrate the milestones you’ve reached in your career and personal life. Let your past
achievements inspire you to set new challenges.
5. Express gratitude. Think about the many blessings in your life, especially the family and friends who have contributed to your happiness and success. Being grateful helps you to regard yourself and others with more affection and kindness.
6. Repeat affirmations. Come up with a list of claims that you can use as a mantra while meditating. Pick words and phrases that motivate you to keep trying.
7. Resolve. End your meditation sessions by giving yourself a practical
assignment to complete. Bake yourself a cake or plan a fun activity for the
upcoming weekend.
Use meditation to figure out who you are and what you need to do to lead a life that’s meaningful to you.
Exploring your thoughts, feelings, and actions is the first step towards becoming wiser and happier. As your self-knowledge grows, you’ll make sounder decisions and enjoy richer experiences.
If you’re struggling with chronic pain, you know how debilitating it can be. It can make even the simplest tasks seem impossible. But what if I told you there is a way to escape your pain? Fran Garton is a health coach who specializes in helping people with chronic conditions like fibromyalgia live pain-free, medication-free lives.
In this episode, Adam and Clarissa sit down with Fran to discuss how our emotions cause pain, why we often choose to stay in pain, and what we can do to break free from the cycle of pain. Fran shares her personal story of how she overcame chronic pain and offers practical advice that you can use to start living a pain-free life today. So if you’re ready to escape your pain, listen now to this episode of the Meditation NOT Medicine Podcast and start living your best today!
