“Have you tried meditation - I hear it’s really good for you!”

*CRINGE*

I’m not sure about you, but getting that question used to make me shutter. And I’ve been practicing yoga since 2000! There was no way that meditation was going to quiet this overthinking mind. Not to mention that the idea of sitting with my crazy, anxious thoughts was too scary to even consider. That is until I realized during a required 9-day intensive meditation teacher training in 2016 that meditating was not about quieting my mind, but more about watching my thoughts in order to change my relationship to them. And now, I use meditation regularly to soothe my anxiety - and about 500 other things! If you are anything like I used to be, you want to keep reading! Today I’m breaking down the basics of meditation so you can understand and apply a few simple techniques to help you feel more grounded and balanced during your day, even if your time is limited.

As I write this blog in June 2021, 41.4% of Americans are fully vaccinated for COVID-19. States are reopening and life seems to be getting back to some sort of “Post-Covid Normal”. Whatever that means. Some people can’t WAIT to get together with friends and hug strangers on the street while other people feel more comfortable staying put in isolation. As the light at the end of the tunnel seems to be shining, you might be wondering why you aren’t as excited to go back to the “way things were.” You miss being around other people in your community, but you just don’t feel ready. I get it! In this blog I share exactly why you might be feeling this way and how you can use mindfulness techniques to figure out how to best take care of yourself during this post-pandemic transition.