Meditation is incredible. Or so I'm told.
I forget to meditate most mornings.
It's not a lack of time. I have plenty.
It's not that I don't want to. I do.
But the fact is most of us can't be bothered to sit still and breathe. We can't fathom not participating every waking second. We wouldn't dare forget to brush our teeth, but can we stand to try and silence our own mind? No thanks!
Everything around us says, "Keep this narrative going". We have responsibilities. Be in the office by nine. Meetings and deadlines. In between there are text messages and dates and exercise classes and food to hunt down. And so many good shows to catch up on.
Until our heads hit the pillow. Another day flies by.
We're afraid to notice just how wild our minds can be. It only takes five minutes to feel like you're crazy. Is this what my mind is doing all the time? A tornado of reactions in a kaleidoscope world? Never able to find your footing?
But the cosmic joke is it's worth it. There have been studies to suggest just sitting and breathing can reduce anxiety, depression, stress and even blood pressure. It can increase pain tolerance, improve memory and boost empathy for others.
Where everything around us forces us to pay attention, our mind just sits and waits for us to do the same. And, most of the time, we're too busy to notice.