Finding time to meditate, journal, and do some yoga is almost impossible during stay-at-home times. But you may be having some therapeutic daily meditation without even knowing it.
During this Pandemic era, we are all doing multiple full-time jobs at home with little people running around behind us. You’re thinking, “I need some me-time, quiet time, or a break to myself.” You’re not alone.
I’m not talking about doing an hour workout or 20 minutes of meditation, which is impossible in my house. Unless I want dogs licking my face and kids talking non-stop during my “quiet time.”
Meditation isn’t about always finding a dark room, sitting on a meditation pillow, meditating for 20 minutes in quietness, with nice meditation music playing in the background.
Meditation is being present in your activity, bringing stillness and mindfulness to your center. As mentioned above, that doesn’t have to be doing a full-on meditation session. You can find it in short daily activities you do every day. You may not even know you’re doing it.
Daily Routine Meditations
Drinking Your Coffee/Tea in the Morning
Making your coffee/tea is necessary for some of us and a ritual every morning. You are more than likely to have a routine you perform daily while making your coffee.
You’re present in that moment; even if you’re still yawning from having woken up, your mind isn’t running a million miles a minute. Rather you may be quiet and waiting for your coffee/tea to brew.
You may not have thought that that short amount of time for making the coffee is like meditation, but it is. You’re in the moment focused on making this one hot soothing coffee/tea.
If you’re drinking hot coffee, it’s hard to rush through drinking it, so you’re forced to go slowly. Practice being mindful and enjoy every sip of coffee/tea, and you’re practicing a form of meditation.
Cooking
Suppose you’re a chef at heart and love cooking for yourself and your family. Then I would gather you’re performing a version of meditation in your meal preparation process.
When you’re cooking, you are present in the moment and mindful of everything you are doing, cutting, cooking, etc. You are fully present in the making of this meal. While doing so, you are practicing a form of meditation.
You’ve likely quieted your mind and are only focusing on that one activity in the present moment. It’s easy to make mistakes while cooking if you’re not paying attention to what you’re doing.
What if you’re not really into cooking but have to do it, like me. I have to cook for my family no matter what, as I want to ensure we’re eating healthy meals at home together.
I don’t always enjoy it, but I am mindful of what meals I want to prepare and therefore am more present and aware of what I am creating for my family.
Cleaning
You may be thinking, why on earth would cleaning be a form of meditation? Who enjoys cleaning and finds it therapeutic? Well, I don’t know who as it’s not me, even though I feel like I clean all day and still never have a clean house. I digress.
However, some of you enjoy cleaning and find it rewarding. You may be completely present and in the moment when you’re scrubbing the tub or doing the laundry. Vacuuming may be heaven for you, and you know what? That is awesome!
You’re practicing being in the moment and are feeling content with the process. You’re in the zone, sort of speak.
Cleaning may not be your thing, but if it is, then embrace it and know it’s a way to be mindful and present. There’s a reason it brings you some joy.
Listening to Music and Singing
Who doesn’t love a great song to sing to?! Have you ever found yourself singing full out to a song you love and feel so much better after singing it? Have you ever felt a song hit down to your core?
You’re experiencing a connection to the energy and vibration of the song. We’re all vibrational and energy beings, after all. Singing and listening to music connects us on a profound level, given the right song.
Feeling truly connected to a song or singing a song, I believe, is a form of meditation. You feel truly present and in line with the lyrics and moved by the music itself. I think music is a way to uplift you and raise your vibration when you need it.
It’s hard not to be present when you’re singing a song and resonating with the lyrics. You’re present and able to receive the healing energy of the music itself, lifting your spirits and energy.
Exercising
I bet you thought working out was just merely a way to stay healthy physically, but it also works to help you be healthier mentally and spiritually. You probably already know that if you need to work out to keep your sanity.
Working out can be going to the gym or yoga/pilates studio. You may have created your own workout routine that you really enjoy doing at home.
Nonetheless, you’re in tune with your body, and your mind is aligned with what you are doing physically, that you again reach being in the zone. Your mind becomes quiet and only focused on the present moment.
The outside sounds become a distant background white noise. You, my friend, are performing a form of meditation.
Even activities like hiking, kayaking, walking, being in nature, fishing, and the like are all forms of meditation.
Perhaps that’s why you long to walk in nature, that’s me, or go fishing whenever you can, or slip off to the gym for a quick workout. It’s about reconnecting with yourself and being mindful.
Showering
This happens to all of us. You’re so focused on just washing your hair that your mind is tranquil, and then bam! You get the answer to something you had been stressing about, or a great idea hits you at once.
Why? Because you were doing a form of meditation that quieted your mind long enough to allow the answer or thought to appear. The clutter in your mind was washed away long enough to benefit from meditation.
You were being completely present at the moment and not thinking about anything that your mind stepped out of your own way. Then that’s when you get that, aha! moment.
When you think of meditation in these forms, it’s easy to see that you’re already practicing mindfulness daily.
It may be different from how you thought about it in your head, but you’re finding it in different ways to work with your lifestyle.
Whether you’re spending 5 minutes taking time to make your coffee in the morning, spending an hour at the gym, or 20 minutes cleaning, it all works the same. You’re present, mindful, and connecting with yourself. Self-care and meditation don’t have to take up hours of your day.
Meditation can come in many forms throughout your daily life.
When you’re in the zone, you are connected with your higher self and able to tune out the rest of the world. Even your busy mind. That is meditation. So whether it’s practicing a sport, focusing on writing, or singing your favorite song, you’re connecting to your source in your own way.
You may feel jerked back into reality if you’re in the zone when someone talks to you or you’re interrupted from this state. That is how you know you’re doing your own version of meditation.
So if you’ve always wanted to try meditation but never have the time, you may already be doing it in your own way. And the easiest way to do something over and over is by enjoying it.
There is no specific way to meditate. You can sit for hours trying to meditate but not get as far as if you were doing one of the activities above.
These days you have to adapt and find ways to make things like meditation a routine in your daily life. As with anything, find what works best for you; you don’t have to be a guru to get all the benefits of meditation.
I wish you peace and guidance on your journey.
photo source: Woman photo created by freepik – www.freepik.com
