Self-Care Through Meditation

Hello Queens! I thought it would be a great idea for me to share an older post written by my daughter, Raevyn Monique. I chose to repost this because of how many of us are currently focused on self-care. Many of us place a lot of emphasis on healthy eating, hitting the gym regularly, and getting at least 8 hours of sleep. One thing that I find missing most often, is mindfulness and meditation. That being said, enjoy the following post!

"I am sure I speak for most of us when I say it is a daily struggle to focus on all the great things in life! We worry so much about what is tough for us and what we don’t have that we forget about all that we are blessed with! There are so many ways that meditation can improve your life, so let’s just name an important few to prove my point.

When I first decided to meditate I googled constantly! I just wanted to know why and how. What is it that makes sitting still and quiet, in one place, for 10 to 20 minutes so ‘healthy’? How does it help? Well, the very first thing I remember reading some stats that stated meditating for a total of an hour per day, for three weeks can make you a happier person. It teaches our bodies to slow down and take a breather. This reduces stress because it calms your body in order to decrease our ‘fight or flight’ reaction. Now okay, obviously we know that everybody is not going to get the same results within the same amount of time, but isn’t that a great goal to work towards?!?!

Further, meditation can improve our ability to focus and pay attention. Being able to sit quietly and not think, just breathe, is a test in itself. It takes time because we automatically have 12 million things on our brains even when our body is resting. With meditation, you learn how to let everything go and just be with yourself. Mind, body, and spirit. If you can concentrate on just breathing through all your thoughts, you can learn to concentrate on anything through life.

​I complain constantly that I have some type of anxiety; mediation is even a cure for that! Since it is so calming, it helps you to focus on the here and now instead of thoughts the, “what will happen” thoughts that are caused by anxiety. Who doesn’t wanna say goodbye to all those constant inner worries?!?!

One last thing that I feel is important about meditation is the way I feel about myself afterward! We all believe we know ourselves but do you really KNOW who you are? Or do you know the ​person you show everyone else? Meditation gives you that extra alone time with yourself that you need to appreciate the person you are. All the external distractions of the world can easily take us away from knowing ourselves. It can start a fight between who we are and who we would rather be. In the beginning, sitting alone with myself and my thoughts was totally scary. After a while, I learned how to accept my thoughts and myself for what it all is. This is me!

Please do not read this and assume these are the only things meditation can improve in your life! There are so many aspects that I have not mentioned. The bottom line is, that we need to be able to take care of our minds and our bodies in order to take care of ourselves. Loving and accepting yourself is just the beginning!

“If you correct your mind, the rest of your life will fall into place.” ~Lao Tzu

Mind, body & spirit..."