As promised, I have another guest post for you all today! Erin blogs at Creative Soul in Motion.  Like myself, Erin lives in Boston.  Not only are we blog friends,  we are real life friends too.  Erin describes herself as a yoga-loving, whole-food eating Warrior Goddess empowering people of all ages to find growth + happiness through active living.  I’d agree with her description but also have to add that Erin truly embodies that of someone passionate about wellness.  She is always exploring ways to grow and develop both physically and mentally.  She fearlessly tries new things and makes an effort to do so and is constantly aware of her experiences and emotions.  Erin blogs about all aspects of living a balanced healthy life from exercise and activity, to food, to meditation, to your emotions and more.  I highly recommend taking a look at her blog, it is by all counts a wellness blog and good one at that!  

Today I asked Erin to write about meditation, it’s something that should be incorporated with yoga but is definitely an area I’ve yet to find the confidence to explore.  But maybe with one minute a day I can start and you can too!

Life goes by quickly. I’m sure I’m not the only one that sometimes wonders where the days go. Where the months go. Where the years go. For example, I can hardly believe it’s the end of June and July is only a few days away. In the past that feeling used to frighten me – I would feel a need to hold on, to literally reach out and grab onto the hands of the clock and slow them down. I felt like my life was passing by and I didn’t have the ability to fully enjoy, fully experience.

Then I began meditating.

All because I read an article that said that meditating for only 1 minute a day could change my life. And I thought, well 1 minute isn’t that bad. I can spare a minute everyday to meditate. So I began a very short practice, where I would set my microwave timer for a minute and sit on the kitchen floor, close my eyes and just breathe. This was the beginning.

Although I no longer rely on a microwave timer and have begun taking meditation classes (not really a class, more like a meditation practice where you enjoy the act of meditation with others) I still rely on my 1 minute of meditation. I still love my minute meditation and use it throughout the day to ground me in my self and my life.

Meditating for only a moment can radically change your day, your week, your life.

One moment of blissful awareness without goals or obligations can literally open your heart, your mind and your spirit to the beauty and joy around you.

One moment where breathing is your only objective, where you simply exist can ground your soul and connect you to the world and your authentic self.

One moment of breath can shake up your former beliefs, create clarity where solutions are abundant and can help you understand your life and yourself better.

One moment can create a wave of mindfulness, openness and clarity that will significantly make your life brighter and dare I say better.

You don’t need a degree to meditate, you don’t need a handbook or someone to teach you along the way. All you need is simply a moment and your breath – both of which I’m sure you have.

Meditation is simply the act of breathing and letting go. Letting go of every thought, worry, concern, idea, belief and giving way to new energy. This new energy is so powerful that even just meditating for a moment can provide enough light and connection that it will last the whole day.

One minute meditation can be done while you wait for your bus or train, while you’re waiting in line at a coffee shop, while you’re on hold, while you’re in an elevator or even while walking down the street. There are no rules to meditation – it is what you make of it and it can be done anywhere and any time.

Recently I heard Yoko Ono on NPR encouraging listeners to keep their mind as empty as possible to create space for new information, new experiences and new emotions. Meditating is simply that – creating space, harmony and lightness within yourself.

So what do you have to lose by sitting for just one minute (you can even use a timer) and breathing? I dare you to try something new and different that could have a wonderful, meaningful and powerful impact on your life.

Remember: Just breathe.