Meditation Promise began on January 1st of 2023 when I made a promise to myself to meditate for a minimum of 15 minutes a day and chart my progress on social media by taking a picture with the daily number to inspire others to journey inward.
I wanted to create this daily discipline to devote time to stillness and calm my quick mind. As the world continues to move faster and faster with technology, I feel our thoughts speed up along with it. Grounding into a mindful practice of quiet time is essential as we step into the Aquarian age of tech & AI. Getting a grasp on one's screen time and taking time to be in nature or be still is medicine for the mind.
I found over time that the more I chose to carve out this daily discipline, it became a devotion. A routine that became a ritual that I could looked forward to.
Now I know most people when they hear the word meditation conjure up images of monks in temples as if this is what disciplined meditation is all about, but it doesn't have to be. I found many ways to come to stillness and travel inward. Below is a myriad of ways I found to meditate on this adventure into mindfulness. May one of these inspire you to take your own journey. Day 1 in the picture above was the Inner Smile meditation.
The meditation journey continues as seen in the pictures above: on an acupressure mat, in a salt bath, blindfolded after a rough day crying, with Goddess Keri, in a car garage with the sound of white noise coming from a fan, and counting mala beads.
Meditating with insence, candle gazing, with yoni mudra, in a train station in Austria, in a group Summer Solstice intention setting workshop, and forest bathing!
Wind Watching meditation with a bodhisattva cat named George. Meditating using the calming 'box breath count' pranayama, guided meditation with Yogi Cass in the mountains, at a corporate office before class, in the doctors office waiting for test results, and with Yogi Cecile in a 15 minute horse stance that made our legs quiver! We exploded with qi energy!
Meditating can even be done in this position on the couch with covid. Meditating in Viparita Karani - legs up the wall pose, in a crowded airport abroad, with my students in Galapagos, during the Libra Eclipse whose light touched the plane while flying over South America! And listening to the fountains at DreamWorks waiting for the yogis to begin class.
Meditating to the sound of Tibetan monks chanting Ôm. Meditating in a restorative Supta Baddha konasana with yogi Babette. I could fill this whole blog with pictures of my dog who meditated in a hundred positions with me. And meditating on the last day of my 40s after an hour of intention setting.
One of my favorite ways to meditate besides Wind Watching (read my previous blog on how to do this), is FLOW state! I waited until my 50th birthday for this meditation!
Flow state can be described as: Flow in positive psychology, also known as being in the zone, is the mental state in which a person performing some activity is fully immersed in a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and enjoyment in the process of the activity.
To me this is meditation! Getting lost in movement and being fully present is divine. Time stands still when becoming one with music. I have danced since I found my rhythm in rave clubs in my 20s and on stage in my teens. It is, for me, an art form.
My last and ultimate way to meditate, I saved for last. Moon Bathing! A walking meditation under the moon is deep medicine! The light bathes the body and is so nourishing. To moon bathe, simply get quiet, walk under this luminary, and watch your senses come alive. Fresh cut grass in summer or chimney smoke in winter, cicadas in the summer, or howling coyotes in winter. The sound of gravel under the feet as I walk along the river in my neighborhood is divine. The air on my skin mingles with the light of the moon. Walking with someone only enhances the experience that you'll share. This meditation is a must and will be incorporated into future retreats where its possilbe.
I also want to point out that I'm human. My daily number is not 365 due to accidentally putting the same number twice, falling asleep and completely forgetting to meditate, and not being sure to do an extra meditation on the plane while traveling abroad. And this human had an amazing journey!
To see the full journey through pictures, visit my Facebook page Michelle Corp Yoga and check out the album Meditation Promise 2023.
So, as you can see, there are a myriad of ways to cultivate the art of stillness. Finding creativity to channel your devotion into mindfulness is a form of self care and love. I truly hope that my journey inspires you to travel inward to discover the treasure that you are as all gets quiet.
Ôm Shanti Yogi & happy travels inward!
With Deep Love,
Yogi Michelle