Making Time For Mindful Meditation

Maintaining a consistent meditation practice can be challenging for anyone.

Throw in being a busy mom and it seems downright impossible. Yet, I keep coming back to it, even though my practice is far from perfect.

Here's why.


I learned to meditate about 20 years ago and I loved it immediately.

I remember the voice of the woman who taught me, smooth, deliberate, steady.

Quiet. Exactly how her words made me feel.

That is not my usual state.

I'm a very energetic person by nature, some might even say a bit high strung.

And, aside from being a worrier, I generally have no complaints with it.

It's served me well for much of my life, allowing me to get my work done, party until dawn and care for sleepless babies, a house and a job with relative ease.

Unfortunately, what I've never been able to do well is be still.

I don't nap, I'm not a tv watcher (and when I am watching I'm usually doing the bills or looking at a magazine at the same time).

I don't read in the middle of the day, either.

I even tend to eat breakfast and lunch standing up.

I once took that 10,000-steps-a-day challenge and I had reached the goal by 2pm.

A fast metabolism is wonderful in so many ways, but the one thing it does not foster is calm.

When I first learned about the process of mindfulness meditation I was young and a bit skeptical, but I was into new ways of getting healthy and I so gave it a try.

I was shocked by the euphoric feeling I had afterwards, gained by basically just sitting…and trying not to think.


The notion that I could let ideas come into my head and then leave without acting on them or engaging them was so foreign to me and so freeing.

I learned to unlock the power of my breath and to focus on the present moment.

The relaxation, a lovely side effect of meditation, was addictive. I was hooked right away and I became a hungry disciple.

I set up a cozy spot to meditate and did it regularly, twice a day when I had the time.


I read about it, practiced it and, for a few years, I was a relatively relaxed and quiet girl. I was more conscious of the present moment, trying to live mindfully in the serenity of the now.

Then came the kids.

I tried to meditate, but no matter how skilled one becomes at blocking the world out, it’s pretty hard to ignore a screaming baby with a loaded diaper.

While the diaper days have come and are long, long gone, for some reason I haven't been able to resume my mediation practice with any regularity.

I could make a million excuses listing the people and things that get in my way, year after meditation-less year, but the bottom line is that I don't make it...or, I guess, ME...a priority and that needs to change.

So, after completely falling off the wagon 3 days into Oprah’s 21 Day Meditation Challenge, I have decided to start my own challenge.

I'm challenging myself to my very own Mindfulness MEditation Challenge.


I figure I'm allowed to put ME first for 10-20 minutes every day.

The laundry can wait, the dishes can wait and, yes, even the children can wait for 10-20 minutes.

It really is the key to making me a better mom, a better wife and a better, healthier person overall.

Now I'm sure I'm not the only one out there who puts themself on the back burner, at some point I think it happens to all of us.

And we need a little support and accountability.


So if want to join me and challenge yourself to take that walk, do yoga, read that book, call a friend, watch a reality show.

Or just use the bathroom in private, let me know.

I'd be happy to encourage you and let you know how I’m doing.

Because while peace of mind and enlightenment should be enough to keep me on track, I find the threat of public humiliation to be a much better motivator.

😉

How's your meditation practice?