Gratitude for Meditation
Meditation in India, Summer 2022
My meditation journey began as a tool I never knew I needed. My life has shifted in significant ways since I began meditating, and I’d like to discuss my gratitude for this practice which is so transformative and has the power to affect your life in positive ways as well.
From the time I was a young teenager into my adult life, I experienced severe anxiety and panic attacks. In 2016 I found the app called Headspace and began practicing. Eventually daily meditation practice healed my anxiety and eliminated the need for medication. It helped me move through life’s most difficult experiences, like losing my dad, and handle it with more grace than I could without meditation and prayer in my life.
Like many people, at first I wasn’t familiar with what meditation is and what it meant to sit in a room with your eyes closed and do nothing. Maybe you can relate. It’s common to think, “I can’t meditate; my mind is too busy.”
And yet, when we do it consistently, we begin to notice the movement of the mind and become familiar with how it moves, what it focuses on, the things that grab its attention, what it ruminates about. We have to understand it in order to unravel it, and meditation is the space to do that. Research shows that meditation changes the mind and reshapes it through neuroplasticity, actually rewiring the brain.
Gratitude can be used in meditation inward and toward others. Start with yourself, expressing love and gratitude for your body, your legs, the ability to breathe without having to think about it. Expand this practice and share love and gratitude with others, your loved ones and even those who have harmed you. Neuroscience research shows there are significant benefits of including others who have hurt us in our practice. It actually massages the prefrontal cortex of your brain where compassion and creativity reside. This leads to more success processing life events with less judgement, from the top down, as opposed to bottom-up processing which stems from fear.
I’d like to challenge you to meditate each day for the next 30 days. Start with just 5 minutes per day. Journal about your experience, progress, hurdles and insights through these weeks and reflect on them. I love using MiGOALS journals with meditation for journaling afterwards and tracking my growth, learning and discovering gems. If you’d like to try this, visit the MiGOALS website here and use the code ANDREA20 for a discount on your order. Let me know how your meditation and journaling practice go for you!
Moment of Introspection & Leadership:
Did you know that meditation enhances your focus? Focus and attention are needed for everything in life. To be a great leader you must be able to focus. One of the biggest benefits of meditation is that it helps you have a greater ability to focus longer and stay in control of your attention span, helping you set goals and complete task lists.
“You must remain focused on your journey to greatness.” — Les Brown
REFLECTIVE & DISCOVERY QUESTIONS FOR THOUGHTS & JOURNALING
Who or what are you grateful for right now?
What do you value the most about that person, place or thing?
FOR YOUR TEAM DAILY HUDDLE
What in our company culture supports and inspires the most gratitude in you?