The world can be a very noisy place. There are phones ringing. There are cars honking. There are lots of things to do on your list. Sometimes, our minds get noisy, too. We worry about tomorrow. We think about yesterday. Our brains feel like a busy street!
It is important to find a quiet place. Not just a quiet room in your house. We mean a quiet place inside your head. When your mind is quiet, you feel calm. You feel strong. You feel ready for anything. This is part of Elegant Empowerment.
How do you find this quiet place? You do it with something called meditation. This sounds like a big, hard word. But it is actually very simple. It is just practicing how to be quiet. It is like a little rest for your brain.
Today, we will learn easy ways to meditate. You do not need to be an expert. You just need a few minutes and a kind heart. Let’s find your quiet place together.
Step 1: Find Your Spot 🛋️
You do not need a special room to meditate. You do not need to go to a mountain. You just need a small spot where you feel safe.
- Look around your home. Is there a chair you like? Is there a corner of your bedroom that feels cozy? That can be your spot.
- Keep it simple. You do not need candles or fancy things. You just need a place to sit down.
- Try to be alone. Tell your family, “I need five minutes of quiet time, please.” Close the door if you can. Turn off your phone. This is your time.
This spot does not have to be perfect. It just has to be yours for a few minutes. When you go to this spot, your brain will start to learn. It will think, “Oh, this is where we go to be quiet.” This makes it easier to relax.
Step 2: Get Comfy
Now that you have your spot, you need to get comfy. If your body is not happy, your mind cannot be quiet.
- Sit down. You can sit on a chair with your feet on the floor. You can sit on the floor on a soft pillow. You can even sit on your yoga block! Sitting on a block can help your back feel straight and tall.
- Be straight but soft. Try to sit up tall, like a string is pulling the top of your head up to the sky. This helps you breathe better. But do not be stiff! Let your shoulders drop down. Let your hands rest on your lap.
- Wear soft clothes. It is hard to relax in tight jeans. Put on your favorite TeeTrende outfit. Maybe your soft Sage Green top and your comfy Brown/Taupe pants. When your clothes are soft, you feel soft inside.
- Close your eyes. This helps you stop looking at the world around you. It helps you look inside yourself. If closing your eyes feels scary, that is okay. Just look down at the floor in front of you. Look with soft eyes.
Step 3: The Breathing Game 🌬️
Now we are ready to start. What do you do when you sit there? You play a little game with your breath.
Your breath is always with you. It is a good friend. It can help you calm down fast.
How to play:
- Close your eyes.
- Bring your attention to the very tip of your nose.
- Can you feel the air coming in? It feels cool.
- Can you feel the air going out? It feels warm.
- Just watch the air go in and out. In and out.
Try counting:
- When you breathe in, think “one.”
- When you breathe out, think “two.”
- Breathe in, “three.”
- Breathe out, “four.”
- Count up to ten. Then start back at one.
If you lose count, that is okay! Do not get mad at yourself. Just start back at “one.” The game is just to try. Just watching your breath gives your busy brain one simple job to do. This helps it get quiet.
Step 4: The 5 Senses Game 👂👃✋
Here is another fun way to meditate. This one uses your five senses. It is a great way to stop worrying and be right here, right now.
How to play:
- Sit in your spot. Take a deep breath.
- Look: Open your eyes softly. Name 5 things you can see. “I see a brown table. I see a green plant. I see a shadow on the wall. I see my blue socks. I see a speck of dust.” Just name them. Do not think about them.
- Feel: Close your eyes. Name 4 things you can feel on your body. “I feel my feet on the floor. I feel the soft fabric of my Coral Pink top on my arm. I feel my hair on my neck. I feel the air on my face.”
- Hear: Keep your eyes closed. Name 3 sounds you can hear. “I hear a car go by outside. I hear the fridge humming. I hear my own breath.” Listen for sounds that are far away. Listen for sounds that are close.
- Smell: Name 2 things you can smell. Take a sniff. Do you smell dinner cooking? Do you smell fresh air coming from the window? If you cannot smell anything, that is okay. Just notice the air in your nose.
- Taste: Name 1 thing you can taste. What does the inside of your mouth taste like right now? Maybe it tastes like toothpaste. Maybe it tastes like tea. Just notice it.
This game is like a little anchor. It holds you in the present moment. It stops your mind from floating away to worry land.
Step 5: Be Kind to Your Mind ❤️
This is the most important rule of meditation. You must be very kind to yourself.
Your brain is made to think. It is like a little puppy. It wants to run around and play. When you try to be quiet, your brain will start thinking. It will think about your grocery list. It will think about a song. It will think, “Am I doing this right?”
This is normal! It does not mean you are bad at meditation. Everyone’s brain does this.
When you notice your brain is thinking, do not get mad. Imagine your thought is like a cloud in the sky. Just watch it float by. Say to yourself, “Oh, that is a thought.” Then, gently bring your attention back to your breath. Or back to the sounds in the room.
Bring your mind back gently, like you would guide a cute puppy back to its bed. Do not pull. Do not yell. Just be soft. You might have to do this a hundred times in five minutes. That is okay. The practice is the act of coming back. Every time you come back, your quiet muscle gets a little stronger.
Your Quiet Power
Finding your quiet place does not take a long time. You can do it for just five minutes a day. You can do it in the morning to start your day calm. You can do it at night to help you sleep.
When you practice being quiet, you get a special power. You do not get upset as easily. You feel more peaceful inside, even when the outside world is noisy. You feel more connected to yourself.
This is a beautiful gift to give yourself. It is the heart of Elegant Wellness. So, find your spot today. Get comfy in your soft clothes. Close your eyes. And take a deep breath. Your quiet place is waiting for you.