Meditation saved my life. Tips for meditation beginners and self-care newbies.
I know it sounds a bit dramatic. I wasn’t physically in danger of dying but emotionally, I was slowing fading. Before I found meditation, my overly critical mind was gaining speed more and more every day.
I found mediation when I was 27 and living in NYC (I talk more about this in my last blog here). I was at a point in my life where I felt lost and wasn’t sure what to do.
enter meditation
I have always been really open minded to things that seem woo-woo but hadn’t been introduced to meditation in a why that felt doable and well, cool. My mentor Gabby Bernstein made it both of these things.
I hope I can show you the same.
First off, for all you evidence-based logical thinkers I got some facts for you. I rounded up some articles with information about scientific studies and mediation can:
Increase immune function (read this)
Decreases pain (see this)
Decreasing inflammation at a cellular level (here is a study)
Holy shit, right?! That’s crazy, those are issues people are having more and more today yet aren’t being told to try mediation. Why? It’s hard, takes time, or sitting with your thoughts and feelings is way too scary.
And I didn’t even tell you about the studies that show how meditation can:
Increasing positive emotions
Decrease depression
Decreases anxiety
Increasing social connection
Makes you more compassionate
Makes you feel less lonely
Improves memory
And there are even more benefits but that’s not even why you should meditate. I want you to do this because of how it changed my life and can change yours.
If there was a magic pill that could make you feel better, you would take it. So why doesn’t everyone mediate? I can answer that because I fall off the wagon now and then.
Our ego minds are always trying to protect themselves, aka stay alive. Staying alive to the ego mind means being allowed to run amuck without any control. Our egos survive by overthinking and spinning out of control. If you start to let go of the crazy thoughts and slow down the mind, it freaks out.
So your ego will try to convince you that you don’t have time or it’s too hard or there are no benefits, etc. Your ego is the same voice that stops you from eating the healthy food you want to, moving your body like you promised yourself, leaving the bad relationship, etc. The ego likes how things have been and when you try to change it, it comes out with the big guns.
“But Jodi, I’ve heard it’s so hard!” is what you might be saying or maybe you have heard these rumors:
It’s a religious act
It’s hard to do
You have to completely clear your mind for it to work
It takes years of practice to receive any benefits
You have to have a lot of time to do it
None of the above is true. I promise. Ask yourself this, why would a technique that has been used since 1500 BC and has the potential to save lives and create real happiness only be available to some? Yes, it takes work but what if I told you that less than 4 minutes a day is all it takes?
Forget what you think you know about meditation
I don’t meditate for 20 minutes a day. Sometimes I do 10, 7, 5, even 2 minutes. The more I meditate the more aligned I get for sure, but just sitting down for 1-4 minutes changes everything.
It sets the intention for how I want to be in this world. It allows me to intentionally move throughout my day instead of just reacting to things happening to me.
The BIGGEST benefit is that you can slow down your negative thoughts so you can see them, change them, and live the life you dream of all day long.
I want this for you!
I put together this “yes, you absolutely have time for this” meditation guide. It breaks down my favorite practice in under 4 minutes a day. And it’s FREE! It’s for absolute beginners and takes you through a simple 7-day practice. Click that link below!
You have NO excuses! Zip. Zero. I know you have less than 4 minutes a day and it’s free, so price isn’t the issue.
Unless … you don’t want to be happy. Willingness is the only prerequisite to this work. You must be willing to make a change. You don’t have to know what to do after that. I got you. But you must be willing.
The only other excuse I can think of is that you might be scared. I get that. Looking at your thoughts when you have been trying to avoid them your whole life is scary. But it’s this decision that is going to change everything. You either go back to sleep on your dreams or you decide to wake up and make a choice.
All the love,
jodi x
PS. If you read this blog, downloaded the guide, and still don’t think you can do this, let me know why below in the comments or email me. I want to help. I don’t what you walking away for this thinking there is ONE more thing you aren’t doing and therefore, a failure.
