When the word meditation is heard, we tend to associate it with extremes like: "The dense sound of the gong is heard; it is dawn. Time for me to empty my mind, become closer with my higher power, and light my various incense around my monastery room." But that is just a very exaggerated type of meditation. I had always read about assorted forms of reflection and concentration, but never actually practiced any kind of method.
I am fortunate enough to be an actor, writer, director, singer, college student, and more. Wearing so many different hats can often cause my anxiety and nerves to flare up throughout my week, making me feel burnt out. For the past couple years I have been searching for ways to reduce my apprehension, and finally found something natural that helps me a great deal: Meditation.
I am not sitting cross legged on a bare concrete floor, or breathing in incense at dawn. I am sitting comfortably on my bed or in a chair focusing on my breathing. There is nothing religious in my practice; I know that some faiths like Buddhism have affiliation with such methods. But for me, becoming the best "me" I can be is the foundation of my process. Focusing on breathing and allowing my worries to "pass like clouds in the sky" are my first priorities. I am just living in that current moment, only focusing on myself.
Meditation has made me a happier and more grounded person.
There are many different ways to meditate and tools you can use to help you center yourself. My favorite app to use is Calm.com, which provides soothing sounds like "Mountain Lake," "Sunset Beach," or my favorite, "Gently Flowing Stream," to play in the background as you meditate.
There are several guided programs, and the "7 Days of Calm" gives you a taste of numerous types of focus like "Body Scan" or a simple practice called "Calm" which has you relax specific parts of your body through your breathing. Calm is also really wonderful because you're able to track when you meditate, for how long, and helps set personal goals to become more mindful in your practice.
Whenever I am irritated, sad, lonely, or overwhelmed I turn to my practice of meditation. I implore you to do more research on what meditation is and to try it yourself. I will do 10-minute sessions a couple times a week. I suggest starting at smaller increments of time, like two-five minutes with using an app like Calm or Headspace.
Meditation has changed my life.
Always remember that you are striving for the journey, not a destination. So do not be frustrated that it doesn't provide mindblowing results after the first couple sessions. Keep practicing. I am no expert on mindfulness or meditation, as I learn more and more about it every day, but it has changed my life in a wonderful way.
