Perhaps when you hear the word 'meditate' you visualize someone with a lot of time on their hands, sitting comfortably and carefree in a quiet space, at ease with themselves and their life, with a clear and settled mind. This may be the case for some well seasoned meditators once in a while, but if we have the preconceived notion that meditation is supposed to always feel easy and good and peaceful, then most likely we will feel like we are failing every time we go to sit. 

As a yoga teacher, I can't tell you how many times I've heard people say "I suck at meditating, I can't clear my mind" or "I can't meditate, it's hard for me to sit still for very long." This is like saying "I'm too dirty to take a bath."  While spending my days at home in quarantine I dug out some books and magazines that I hadn't looked at for a while and came upon a powerful and well articulated article, written by Pema Chodron, an 83 year old American Tibetan Buddhist, who's written dozens of books on mindfulness and meditation and is well respected around the world in this field of study and practice. In the article Pema sheds light on what a real meditation practice might look and feel like and why we would consider doing it in the first place. She goes on to explain the five qualities that are fostered over time as we meditate. We strive to move and breathe on our yoga mats in a purposeful and mindful way and we often spend a bit of time in meditation and deep self awareness. Whether you consider those moments your meditation practice or have an actual time that you set aside to sit and meditate, or would like to begin a meditation practice, this article has something to offer you.

So grab a cup of coffee or tea, sit back, click the link to the article below and soak up some wisdom from this amazing teacher and human being. The second link is a short guided meditation practice to try that Pema offers in one of her books. Enjoy the article and the practice. I hope to see you on the mat soon!