Like everybody else in 2016, I was really going through it. I just finished nursing school and was pretty burnt out. I failed my 600$ government exam and failed my first job interview. Unfortunately, I reacted to all of this like a slightly whiney millennial.
In early 2017, I also failed my second job interview and I really didn’t take it well. I cried and moped around and my boyfriend became my therapist. I was just getting fed up of myself overall. I thought becoming a nurse would at least guarantee me a job! Anyways, I couldn’t deal any longer and I just missed having that peace of mind that used to come to me so naturally.
I had always been into yoga and spirituality, but always avoided incorporating meditation into my life on a regular basis. I had tried the 7 day trial Headspace app months before and it was VERY effective at relieving my stress. I ended up finding a link on YouTube for their 10 meditation and started doing it everyday! During this time I also got into Creative Visualization techniques to visualize finding the perfect job for me. After this, I found this cool App called Insight Timer that has a collection of all kinds of guided meditations from numerous meditation teachers all for FREE. As time passed by and I meditated daily, things in my life started changing for the better. I would like to share with you how it has helped me! Here we go:
1. Decreased Anxiety
I was never the anxious type, but sometimes life’s stressors just invite those demons into your life and it’s easy to temporarily lose the battle. Meditation is such a bargain because you can mediate 10 minutes a day and it will make the remaining 1430 minutes of your day a lot more peaceful. I sometimes get some mild social anxiety in new situations or being around too many people I don’t know. Meditation has just helped me go with the flow and help me rationalize that there are no threats. The occasional fight or flight/breaking an invisible sweat in presumptive stressful situations has definitely decreased. I feel more at ease without the help of any external substances.
2. Better Relationships
Meditation has helped me learn to not take things as personally. I am not on edge as much as I was before. Once you have found that sense of calm, little of what other people do can bother you. I am less reactive. For example, living with a significant other can sometimes be challenging especially if you are used to your own space. I am a minimalist and my boyfriend is a bit of a pack rat. Every now and again I flip out on him because of lack of space in my external environment. Because meditation has helped create more space in my internal environment, the irritability factor has gone way down. Still gotta declutter though!
3. Better ‘Highs’
When I say ‘high’, I mean cannabis highs. Yes, meditation has made smoking weed a lot more of a giggle/zenned out fest, and less more of a worry/over-analyze everything in my life fest!
4. Better Coordination (Boxing and Dancing)
I have been boxing on and off for 4 years and have just picked up dancing again after years of not consistently doing it. I definitely notice the days that I am able to meditate, my focus with both activities is a stronger. Both boxing and dance (I tap dance and just picked up House Dancing) require a lot of short-term memory use and coordination. If your mind is not clear, or you are thinking about tomorrows tasks, you might get punched in the face!
5. Increased Synchronicity
This is like a bonus effect of meditation. I asked around to others who I know that meditate about this. They all agreed. Meditation increases the sychronicities in your life because you are present enough to notice the universe guiding you with little hints. I think synchronicity is a reminder that you are in the flow and going in the right direction. Just the universe saying “I see you.”
6. Easier Manifestations
So this is particularly for Creative Visualization. Creative Visualization is the art of visualizing the outcome that you wish to manifest. So for example, in my life, I visualized passing my government nursing exam and finding a nursing job. I would probably visualize about 2-3 times a week. There was a specific meditation I used on YouTube, which I will post the link to. I truly believe Creative Visualization is one of the magical loopholes to creating the life you desire. Our imaginations are extremely powerful and a lot of us do not take advantage of its powerful potential.
7. Increased Happiness
Very often I would get caught up in life’s worries. I would be watching a movie and miss a few minutes of it because my mind would trail off into some nonsense. Our worries can be legitimite, but lets face it, a lot of our worries never happen. And, if they do, it is often the worrying that attracted the issue to you in the first place. Every now and then when you are 100% present, it’s quite a euphoric feeling. But all that feeling is, is just the joy and ecstacy of being alive in the here and now. Meditating is definitely a path to get to that happy place.
Creative Visualization Meditation Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgQjW4v9tyk
Shades of Llew 