Candle Meditation

Meditation is gaining in popularity. What is it really? Simply put, mediation is choosing to focus your mind on something. To meditate you don’t have to belong to a specific religion, escape to far off places whose names you can’t even pronounce, shave your head, buy yoga clothes and special blankets and sit crossed legged with your eyes closed while you repeatedly say “Om”.

If it’s not all of those things, then what is it? Courageous question! Thanks for asking. Here are some examples. I bet you find you do some of these already.

• Listening to music
• Reading a book
• Going for a walk
• Journaling
• Swimming
• Running

These are a great place to start. Although these activities can be considered meditation (if you are intentionally focusing on the activity), there is a deeper level. There is extraordinary healing for your body, mind and spirit that can happen through meditation, through learning to slow down and practicing mindfulness. It can be truly life altering in unmistakable, genuine ways.

And the best part is, it doesn’t matter what your age is; children, teens, young adults, the elderly, parents, adults, teachers, firefighters, EVERYONE can enjoy the physical, mental and spiritual benefits of meditation in just a few minutes a day.

Today, let’s start with a one minute meditation. Breathing is KEY with meditation. We all breathe every day of course, but with meditation, breathing is deeper and rhythmic. To get an idea of what this breathing looks like, picture an infant in peaceful sleep. Each inhale fills the baby’s belly. That’s the type of breathing you’ll need to practice.

For this meditation, you will need: a candle, a match, and yourself. You can sit wherever you like and in whatever position is most comfortable for you. When you are ready and your body feels comfortable, light the candle. Sit a couple feet away, focus on the flickering of the flame, and practice breathing in and out; bring the air through your nose into your belly, feel it expand, and exhale through your mouth. Simply focus on the flame. You may find you have thoughts that intrude on your time, simply acknowledge them by labeling them: “thought” or “feeling”, let it go and return your focus to the flickering candle.

Continue this meditation for one minute. That’s it. One minute. (If you want to go longer, you certainly can!) Set aside one minute a day for the next week and continue your candle meditation.

Stay tuned for more information on how to meditate that fits your personality. Are you surprised it’s not all sitting still in a quiet room?