As I've told you in a previous blog post, this year I'm trying to meditate and take more quiet times throughout the day and week to pray and be quiet.  It's harder than you think, everyday I tell myself I'm going to meditate the first thing I do when I wake up and I have yet to do that!

However, i do much better at night, when I need to play out the scenes of the day.  I've also read that you don't need to be in a defined space to meditate or let your mind relax and wander.  You can do it at the park, on your lunch break, at your desk or even in your car.  The point is to allow your mind to 'rest'. 

It does help though to have a space carved out to meditate and relax.  It could be a corner in your room or living room.  But adding a few touches can truly help.

1.  Setting the scene with ritual.  It could be lighting a candle or incense, pulling out your favorite blanket or pillow.  Rubbing scented oils on your pulse points.  Whatever it is, do one (or several) thing to put you in a meditative mood.  Ritual is very powerful when it comes to habits and a sense of serenity.

2.  Unplug completely.  Put your phone on vibrate, or do not disturb and put it in another room.  This is really essential to letting your mind and body rest.

3.  Make it completely comfortable.  Put on your pjs or leave them on, wear warm socks, or keep the air cool.  Surround yourself with lots of pillows.  You want to feel relaxed and sedated.

4.  Add special momentos in your space. It could be a photo of a beloved ancestor, or a rock you found on a hike.  Anything that brings back peaceful and happy memories is perfect for your meditative space.  I keep a photo of my me and my niece on my wedding day on the bookshelf next to my chair.  It fills me with happiness and joy just looking at it.

5.  Tell your partner or loved ones you need quiet and space to meditate.  This goes along with unplugging.  close the door or move cats, children and spouses out of your zone.  So that you can completely unwind. 

And one last word of advice, even if your mind wanders in the beginning, don't worry about it.  Often times our mind needs a moment to 'come down' for the activity of the day, to slowly allow the mind to shake off all the thoughts.  Then you can begin a ritual of connecting your body to the earth and the sky (my best way of getting into the meditative state).  Visualization really helps with this. 

I hope these tips help you to move into a state of peacefulness - meditation is like stretching, the more you do it the easier it becomes. 

thanks for reading!