Just 15 Minutes By Ashley
Do you have 15 minutes to carve out of your day to be still and, well, just be? I honestly did not think I did, and I honestly did not know I could be still for that long. I was so wrong, and I am so glad I was so wrong. For the last couple of months, almost every day except maybe one, I have been meditating.
I am what you call a night-time clencher. I have a night guard that protects my teeth, but nothing stops me from clenching, and my jaw ends up incredibly sore. Within a week of starting to meditate, something extraordinary began to happen. My jaw stopped being so painful. And sitting still, just being for 15 minutes a day is the only thing I’ve changed in my life. In fact, I added a few layers of stress to my life during this time by agreeing to do some extra work outside of my full-time job. Even with that, I am still finding time to meditate, and I actually look forward to these blissful 15 minutes of just existing.
I learned a straightforward approach to mediation by reading the book Travel Light by Light Watkins. I’ve mentioned this before, and if you are looking for some strategies to create a simpler way of living…of being, both internally and externally…I recommend you give it a read. 😊
Basically, I just find somewhere to sit comfortably for 15 minutes, back supported, start a 15-minute timer, eyes closed, and three deep breaths to start the 15 minutes, breath normally and three deep breaths when my gentle timer goes off. Nothing fancy, nothing complicated. I let thoughts come and go, and if I feel myself settling too long on a thought, I think about my breath. Sometimes, I lift a soft prayer, and sometimes, I may even drift off. All of this is ok because it is about me creating time and space for myself to just…be. And for now, that time and space has truly helped my aching jaw. I can’t wait to see what else may be on the horizon.
If you’ve been thinking about mediation but think it is overrated, too complicated, or just a bunch of woo-woo or huey, maybe give it another think. And perhaps even a try. Like me, you might just be surprised!
