3 Simple Steps: Meditation For Busy Moms | If I had to guess, you’re on the toilet or lying in your bed before going to sleep soaking up the few precious minutes you have to yourself.
In a not weird way, I see you. I get you.
I want to say thank you. Thank you for taking some of your limited free time to read this article. My hope is that this is a sweet bite-sized morsel of clarity for you on how to cultivate your best life.
I say that because every mom is looking for an ounce of sanity at some point during the day, and usually we don’t have time to think about the “how to get it” until we are too tired and ready for bed. Sadly, the most some of us hope for is the serenity found in five minutes of silence or the pleasure of having a mere two consecutive thoughts together.
What it really comes down to is you’re looking for an answer on how to feel less detached from yourself and more in touch with your inner peace.
I must tell you, you’re not alone. Many of us feel overwhelmed.
According to a survey I conducted in the fall of 2020, the reason for the overwhelm and detachment from ourselves varies, but it can all be summed up in two words – time and energy.
Our reasons for the overwhelm – too many life responsibilities, prioritizing the needs of others, poor time management, etc. – pull at our time and energy in some way and deplete us from feeling centered within ourselves.
Meditating has become one of the best ways I’ve found to increase energy, manage time, and improve my state of being. Now now, before you dismiss this because it sounds hokey or like too much work, I must tell you where I started when my kids were babies years ago.
I didn’t understand meditation, and I believed that any quiet time to read or journal my precious thoughts sounded like a far distant memory – something that only existed in a past life like the one before I had kids. I used to think that taking time to center myself looked only one way and usually that involved a cozy spot, some hot coffee, and an uninterrupted hour to myself – things that don’t always exist in a mother’s world. So I had to improvise and plug in a moment of gratitude, reflection, or peace in between laundry, changing diapers, and cleaning up spills.
Over time I realized those moments to center myself (a.k.a. meditating – I eventually learned) just looked different in a mother’s world, and this new way of “being” actually translated to every aspect of my life. Meditating became a state of mind. It was a part of me just as much as breathing was a part of me. Intertwining this conscious way of being, allowed inner peace to become more expansive, more available. This was all I craved as a mom – peace within the overwhelm.
Meditation is how I leveled up my inner world, so I could always feel more in alignment with myself. This was the best way to cut through the overwhelm and get clarity on myself and my life.
There are so many things that will pull at our time and energy, yet in practicing the 3 simple steps below, time strangely slows down and we can take back our energy before it gets sucked out of us.
The 3 simple steps for meditation that every mom must know:
- Meditation is practicing presence. This takes the pressure off from figuring out how to find a single hour to yourself to be present. It’s an invitation to learn how to be present throughout your entire day. Practice while washing bottles, driving the kids to school, or shaving your legs. Bring your full attention to that moment and simply notice what you notice about the experience. The goal is to be fully present in that exact moment, and not harping on the past or anxious about the future. Be here now.
- Meditation is practicing awareness. Allow your five senses to fully engage in each present moment, and then begin noticing your thoughts and feelings linked to that experience. This is as simple as noticing the softness of your baby’s hand and the love you have for your child. Another example is smelling the fresh spring rain and feeling gratitude in that moment. Oftentimes we rush through our day and miss these opportunities to embrace a sense of peace. We end the day worn down by the busyness and yearning to feel more balanced within ourselves. Consciously pausing throughout the day to practice presence and awareness in the simple things creates a compound effect of positive, uplifting emotions that can support you all day.
- Meditation is a pathway toward self development. Becoming more present and aware, allows you to notice the wonderful things as well as the tough things about yourself. Sharpening your ability to notice your emotions in any given situation, opens you up to the possibility of choosing how you want to respond knowing how it will serve you and your family best. For instance, do you become more impatient, rigid, or frustrated under certain circumstances? If so, ask yourself questions like, “What am I trying to achieve right now?” “What is actually true?” “What am I actually frustrated about?” Keep pulling back the layers to find your truth, decide what feeling you should let go of, and then move on. Letting go isn’t easy, but it certainly creates more inner peace.
Think of this like a muscle that needs daily exercise in order to stay fit. This is a life practice. As much as we need to move our body to keep it strong, we need to meditate to keep our inner world strong.
Start simple. Make small changes. Celebrate everything as you grow in your practice. And as always feel free to reach out if you have any questions.
