Introduction to Meditation
Withsara meditation classes
This series of meditations are here to help you establish a sustainable and manageable meditation practice in addition to your workouts. Taking time to nourish our mind and inner well-being is equally important as physical activity and you will notice the benefits from just a few minutes of meditation. Shorter sessions daily are more effective compared to e.g. aiming for an hour a week, and creating a routine will make it easier to stick to the practice.
Each meditation has its purpose and focus and they range from 5-to 15 minutes. Try one daily for a week and then come back to your favorites whenever you need some time for stillness and inner nourishment.
Few tips before you start
Even though we sometimes would like to, switching off our thoughts is not possible so if it is hard to still your mind during the practice, just try to let the thoughts go as quickly as they came. We can’t stop them from popping up in our heads, but we can choose how much energy and time we want to give them. Try to choose not to engage with any thoughts that might arise during the meditation. So, if stressful thoughts around your to-do list of the day or that thing you forgot to do last night come up, just try to sit with it and breathe. Decide that you can deal with that later, but not during your meditation practice.
Also, if it is hard to concentrate due to noise or other distractions in the background, use that to connect even deeper within. Regardless of what is going on around us, we can always turn to this quiet and peaceful place inside of us, so try to remind yourself of that if you easily get distracted by anything that goes on around you.
Make time for it - especially when you are busy
Another reminder is that especially during the days when we don’t think we have time for a meditation practice, that is when we definitely should do it. And we always have five minutes if we prioritize it. So, make sure you prioritize and schedule your meditation practice – even though it could be just a few minutes, it is easily forgotten if we don’t set aside time for it in our schedule. Maybe create a routine of adding a meditation before or after your workout, or perhaps first thing in the morning or during your lunch break. And I can guarantee you that you will feel a difference after just a few sessions.
Meditation gives us that pause to breathe and find stillness when life gets busy. This practice helps us to feel more in control of our lives, find a way to view things from another perspective, discover feelings and thoughts we have within us, and connect with ourselves.
I hope that you will enjoy this series of meditations and that they can bring some peace and calmness into your daily life.
Matilde x
Matilde is our amazing guest teacher who will bring you meditations. "Living a healthy life is something I’ve always been interested in since a little kid, and nourishing food, exercise, spirituality, and having a goal of feeling as good as possible have been passions for as long as I can remember. My hope is that these guided meditations can be practices to turn inwards in order to address various feelings and sensations, as well as help you establish a healthy and sustainable routine for your mind and inner wellness.
