Why Meditate in 2022…

To conclude our four part series of meditation FAQ blogs with this final blog of 2021, I will give you a little personal insight into why I meditate and how you could benefit from a meditation practice for the year ahead.

Why I meditate:

I didn’t connect my Reiki practice to meditation for a long time, but truthfully I have been practicing meditation regularly for over a decade. Every time I breathed myself to centre, welcomed in Reiki energy to either work on myself, my situation or another, I was meditating. In 2017 I began a practice of morning meditation for the purpose of manifestation, and still I did not think of this as meditation. Every morning I wrote or read or looked at images of that which I felt was in the interest of my highest good and then I sat quietly with my energetic focus on these things. I then spoke the words, ‘everything is happening just as it is meant to happen for my highest good.’ and I believed it… those things did appear in my life very quickly. Upon receiving all of my dreams I promptly stopped doing any energetic work either on myself, others or that which I wished to manifest and I started on a very downwards spiral. At the start of 2019 I was beginning to pick myself up from my own rock bottom, having put some healthy boundaries back in place. With this renewed clarity I realised that a healthy wellness practice would need to be as constant as any other health practice. Working out and making mindful nutritional choices is only as good as the length of time you do it. The same is true for our spiritual, mental and emotional health.

For the first time I consciously chose a daily morning meditation practice. I began to study meditation as a separate subject to Reiki and my life transformed.

I dedicate myself to meditation every day to give my system, on all levels, assistance to navigate life. The human condition is complex and includes challenges, uncertainty, change and pain, as well as love, joy, excitement, healing and companionship. Meditation supports us on a physiological level, boosting our immunity, our positive feelings and our restful sleep. Meditation also supports us on a spiritual level as we understand our connection to the whole. We are never alone, even when we are experiencing aloneness. Meditation creates space to listen to our bodies, our hearts and to truly believe in all the possibilities we wish to manifest.

I still struggle to navigate life sometimes, but it is much, much easier. I am never far off centre, even when I am not there, so it is easier to return.

I credit to my daily meditation practice:

My healthy and evolving relationships with family and friends
Meeting my fiancé and being in a place where I can experience this relationship with all its growth and connection
My evolving career path in alignment with my purpose
Choosing to become vegan
Choosing to stop drinking alcohol
My overall health and fitness
Choosing to do hard things that feel right, rather than easy (and sometimes fun) things that will likely cause me harm immediately or at some future date

Of the above, the first things to appear were better relationships with my family and friends and becoming vegan; I am cognisant that I am on a journey and I have not, and will never, reach any destination. Every step of the journey has been more filled with wellness than the one before it, and this is true even when the step is challenging; I know that what lies ahead is more wonderful and I am happy to take the steps. I feel supported by myself and by an energy far greater than me.

I sincerely encourage you to bring meditation into your daily routine, and I am here to help should you wish it, Sarah xo

Why meditate? book recommendations:

There are so many amazing books on meditation and I welcome you to leave your comments with your own recommendations. Below are some of the meditation books that have been most meaningful on my journey so far.

Loving Kindness in Plain English the Practice of Metta by Brantley Gunaratana

Practical Zen by Julian Daizan Skinner

You are the Placebo by Dr. Joe Dispenza

Think Like a Monk by Jay Shetty

The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle

Why should we meditate? - our takeaway

When we meditate we give ourselves the best chance of enjoying our day, our work and our relationships. In meditation we find a clarity which spills over into every hour of the day (or most of them) and we find ourselves making healthy decisions with ease where it used to be hard.

Meditation supports our physical system, helping us to reside outside of fight or flight, returning us to homeostasis.

Meditation keeps us well, mentally, physically and emotionally.

Meditation opens doors we never imagined to look behind.

Meditation is firstly just for you and then magically becomes something that allows you to nourish outwardly as well, without ever feeling depleted.

Meditation is a practice and requires commitment to reap the benefits I have described here. There are no advocates for meditation that say anything other than dedicate to meditation every day. It’s worth it.