impRAWvise 

My own journey with meditation started a while ago, it was somehow always there but not necessarily conscious or intentional. I was integrating most days some meditation along with my daily yoga practice while also occasionally experimenting with just meditation by itself. But, it did not really fascinated me until I did it in connection to my yoga practice, and in connection with other super powerful and useful stress release and health promoting practices such as: the breathing practice, meaning, various breathing exercises, also in connection or included in my daily yoga practice. So basically, yes, my yoga practice, on a day to day basis has been the starting point for other beautiful things to unfold: conscious breathing, breathing techniques and practices for tuning in to the body, release stress and tension and just being in the present moment which includes also the topic of today`s post, meditation.

Over the years I have heard many things about meditation and I have tried some of the suggestions that have come my way, but I have to say, not all of them got into my regular practice. For me it was all about understanding what meditation actually means for me personally and them how exactly might it already unfold into my life or where could I integrate it to get the best of its benefits. It was clear for me that yes, it goes hand in hand with yoga and breathing exercises, but also with other forms of daily movement, awareness or consciousness practices, and just any other tuning into the present moment techniques as well as connecting to a deeper sense of truth, love and guidance, basically with the source of love within, our inner truth or however you might feel you want to call it. I do believe it is both a spiritual tool and a personal choice, it does matter to personalize this experience as much as possible, even it its about guided meditation, just find the right one for yourself, and embrace it in a way or a context that best fits your own needs and desires and that is what makes it become a steady, regular, daily practice.

As I already mentioned, for me the meditation practice has been in a constant connection with the other mindfulness, conectivity, mind, body and soul regulatory practices from my life, meaning mostly yoga, breathing and even walking, which can be for myself great companions for a meditation session. But still, during the last one year and a half, I have been practicing meditation by itself, guided meditation to be more specificaly on a daily basis and it has also become a practice on its own. What made it stick this time? Choosing the right format that I felt in sync with and just going with the flow. Now I have it scheduled, 30 min every single day, before I go to bed, I just take some time to meditate. And it feels absolutely great. Just like any other practice it took some time to make it settle, but once I have started to feel the benefits of doing it on a regular, day to day basis, it just became an automated process, that I do because I feel that I want to do it and because I feel amazing by doing it and for doing it.