​The new normal….
 
How’s your “new normal” going?  For me, it depends on the day.  Some days I feel highly productive and motivated.  My creative juices are flowing and I get excited about creating a new way of living my life.  Other days, I wake up mourning the loss of my “old life” and desperately wishing that all of this would just go away or be over so I can get back to “old normal”.   Then there are the days when I just feel stuck.  Like in quicksand.  Life is just too heavy to even deal with, so I do what I can do escape mentally and end up just feeling crappy for having wasted a day.
 
There is so much uncertainty.  There always is in life, but during a pandemic of this nature that we’ve never dealt with before, it feels like uncertainty overload at times.  All the questions.  All the conflicting answers and opinions.  So how do we find that sense of “normal”?  The answer that came to me the other day was, you need to accept the NOW and start doing the things you know you need to feel balanced.  I can’t just stick my head in the sand or under my pillow and wait for this to pass.  I can’t say to myself “I’ll be happy when…” or “I’ll get into a better routine when…”.  Have you noticed that your “normal” workout routine, diet, self-care habits, relationships (and so much more) have taken a dive?  At first it felt a bit like vacation-mode.  Like, hey what the heck, it’s a nice little break from the norm.  But as the weeks, and months, roll on by I know I’m personally craving a whole big dose of NORMAL.  
 
About a week ago, I realized that one big thing that has been missing in my “covid life” has been a ritual with my daily meditation practice.  I’ve continued meditating, mostly every morning, but for whatever reason I’d ditched my ritual for starting my practice that I learned at the Chopra Center.  This practice to begin your meditation is called “The Soul Questions” and from the moment I learned them I’ve found it to be a such a profound way to immediately focus my mind and drop me into a place of deeper stillness.  This is especially important right now when our minds are racing and confused, feeling overly anxious or depressed.  These past few months without this profound practice, I’ve found my meditations to be either so highly distracted or just unsatisfying that I wasn’t truly feeling their effectiveness.  
 
Do I have your interest peaked?  Are you ready to learn the process?  It’s really quite simple.  I’ll walk you through it now and I’m including an audio file today for you to use while you learn the process.  

Meditating with The Soul Questions

• Make sure you have a nice, quiet environment as free of distractions as possible.  Put your phone on airplane mode.  I suggest using a meditation timer on your phone to keep track of the time.  Zen Timer is nice.  Or just set a nice sounding alarm on your smart watch or phone.
• Start by finding a comfortable seat.  This can be in a chair, on your yoga mat, or on the couch.  Somewhere that your body can be still.
• Shrug your shoulders a few times and end up with shoulders down and palms facing up on your lap. Ready to receive.
• Notice your breath and slowly breathe in and out 5 times.  Let each breath become slower and more mindful.  
• Introduce the Soul Questions.  As you ask yourself these questions let the answer bubble up from your heart rather than creating an answer in your mind.  Just notice what pops up and be ok with it. It might seem odd, absurd, or way too simple.  Just let it be.  Keep it short & simple.
  • Question 1 – Who Am I?
  • Question 2 – What do I really, really want?
  • Question 3 – What is my purpose? (think of it like your gift to share with the world – your Dharma)
  • Question 4 – What am I most grateful for right now?
• Once you’ve answered the questions, simply let them be.  Focus on that feeling of gratitude in your heart and picture it flowing out into your body.
• If you have a personal mantra, or just one you really enjoy, begin to repeat it in your mind letting it flow with your breath.  Here are a few of my favorites:
  • Om Shanti (I am peaceful)
  • Ananda Hum (I am bliss)
  • Sat Chit Ananda (existence, consciousness, bliss)
  • So Ham (I am)
• Continue to breath with your mantra allowing it to flow.  If the mind wanders (it will), gently pull it back with the breath and back to your mantra.  Don’t try to push your thoughts away.  Notice them, then allow them to move on.  You might have something very profound bubble up.  Give it a star and tuck it away to come back to later. At some point you might completely lose track of the mantra and find that you are simply present on a deep level.  
• When your timer goes off, continue to rest for a few moments before rejoining the day.
• You might enjoy keeping a journal nearby to jot down any big thoughts, things you are grateful for, or to set an intention for your day.

 
If you are a meditation newbie, start small.  Set a timer for 5 minutes and try that twice a day.  Soon you’ll find that you are craving more so you try 10 or 15 minutes.  In my opinion, any meditation is better than none!  
 
Why meditate??  Here’s some info from The Chopra Center on how it benefits body, mind, and spirit:

For the BODY:
Boosts immune system
Improves sleep
Decreases blood pressure
Reduces cholesterol
Increases efficiency of oxygen use
Reduces Anxiety & depression

For the MIND:
Increases focusd
Deeper sense of relaxation
Promotes feelings of joy
Decreases negative emotions
Improves self-esteem
Reduces mental clutter

For the SPIRIT:
Increases self-awareness
Improves understanding of self
Decreases attachment
Gives sense of purpose
Reduces ego
Increases levels of consciousness 

Sound good?  Are you ready to manifest some goodness in your life?  Let's start a "new normal" today and meditate together!

ॐ  Shanti!
​Mary 

​