MORNING MEDITATION IS MY FIRE RIGHT NOW

PHOTOGRAPHER AND CREATIVE DIRECTOR: THEETERNALCHILD

I didn't think the day would ever come but I'm here, and I'm falling in love with meditating. 

I'm a busy woman, mid-twenties. THERE'S A LOT GOING ON HERE. On a day to day basis without really realizing it or even stressing about it, I'm working out, going to work, working on my passion, socializing, thinking of how to move forward, thinking of how to move to the next apartment, wondering how I can travel more, save more, have better skin and hair, and spend more time with family. 

Meditating is a moment for myself first thing in the morning, TAKING TIME FOR MYSELF, without any thoughts.

It's a time and place for me to sit and enjoy the quietness of the morning and to let my mind kind of just relax and expand.

I've read from pretty much every person I admire that they love meditation. I've read all about the benefits, the feeling you carry with you for the rest of the day when you do it, and the importance of taking that time for yourself BUT I've never been able to get into it. 

I was always thinking about what I needed to do as soon as I was done meditating. I also always just sort of felt like it was  a waste of time and that my time would be more useful spent at the gym running my ass off. 

Don't get me wrong, running is a great way to release endorphins and clear your mind but meditating is a separate practice with separate benefits. 

As some of you may know, I'm a huge fan on Cameron Diaz. 

I talked about her in this post about how I became motivated to start running again after I read her first book THE BODY BOOK. 

More recently, I read her book THE LONGEVITY BOOK and this is where she spilled all the goodness on her meditation routine and the benefits. 

Let me drop some knowledge on ya real quick. 

STRESS.

When we stress, we are basically responding to something that is happening like a late uber, or missing a flight or when it becomes more serious we are stressing over illness or relationships and financial responsibilities. 

We have these things called Telomeres attached to our cells like a little tail and whenever we stress we are shortening that tail. This eventually gets dangerously shorter and shorter until it gets to the cell and the cell dies or it goes into senescence. 

The accumulation of senescent cells is a driver of AGING AND ILLNESS.

So, we can do some things like run or go to acupuncture to reduce stress levels but the practice of meditating is shown to have the most long lasting results. 

Meditation actually has a beneficial impact at the cellular level by LENGTHENING your telomeres. 

Longer telomeres means healthier cells and less inflammation within the body. 

Then obviously, the stronger our immune system is, the better it will be able to respond to sicknesses and illnesses which will expand the length of our life. 

THAT'S JUST A SMALL tid bit that I learned from The Body Book. 

I was also more recently inspired by people like Amanda Chantal Bacon (owner and creator of Moon Juice) and McKel Hill (Creator of Nutrition Stripped. Particularly this article). 

This interview of Amanda and this blog written by McKel inspired me and made me realize that a lot of woman who I look up to are practicing meditation DAILY.

I just started thinking to myself that I can do this. 

If they can meditate, why can't I?

So the following morning after reading up on some meditation techniques, I woke up early, laid out a beautiful lace blanket on my floor in front of my window, opened it up to listen to the rain, lit 3 candles and placed them on the floor in front of me and googled KUNDALINI MEDITATION. 

This was what Amanda of Moon Juice said that she did so I figured I would start with that. 

I found a 10 minute practice, pressed play and just focused on my breath. 

Between going to work and hitting the gym and running errands, I'm around people and interacting ALL DAY. 

Once I started to realize how precious this time is for me first thing in the morning, i've been getting more and more excited to get into it. 

I'm already looking at new meditation techniques to see if there are any others that I like and I am moving on to 20 minute sessions. 

I've also been getting up earlier so that it is completely quiet and then I cap it off with 15-20 minutes of a morning yoga stretch. 

I finish up by 8:00 am and feel AMAZING. 

This is the YouTube Chanel that I've been loving so far for meditation and yoga so far. 

I also found out that UCLA offers free meditation videos online which are popular because they are conducted by professors so you actually gain some knowledge while you're in your practice and you understand why you are doing what you are doing. 

So moral of the story, I am LOVING it so far. 

Find a place in your home that you can turn into your little "spot". Like I said, mine is in my room in front of my window on my lace blanket. 

Wake up a little earlier so that you can complete the meditation and not feel like you have to be in a rush and just remind yourself that this time is YOURS and yours only.

I think that will help you relax!

Let me know if you guys have any tips for me or let me know if there are other channels that you like so I can check them out!!

LOVE YOU GUYS!

XX - C