Getting Started with Meditation : 3-Minute Method
Hey babes! I shared my 3-minute meditation method over on Instagram stories (which hello, you should totally come hang out with me on Instagram if you’re not bc I keep it very real in my stories, lol) last week and so many of you had questions or requested that I go into more detail so here we go!
Let me clear the air first, though. I’m not a meditation expert. Not even close. I’m just a girl who found a method of meditation that works for her and I’m here to share it in case it works for some of you.
I used to cringe when I heard the word “meditation” because it seemed too far fetched, mythical, and just out of my element. I didn’t really understand what it was or how people did it. I was very stereotypical in my thinking: I thought meditation required at least an hour, that you had to sit on a big ass floor pillow with a gong next to you, and that if you didn’t make “om” sounds that you weren’t doing it right.
Now my thinking is more along the lines of meditation is a state of mind. You can meditate anywhere you want. You can have shoes on. You can sit on the floor or you can sit in a chair. You can chant or you can be silent. Your eyes can be open or you can close them. That stuff doesn’t matter as much.
This is my 3-minute meditation method:
When I wake up in the morning, I make my coffee and the head into my office to do my meditation.
I like to meditate in a bright, quiet space. I usually do my meditation on the chair you see in the picture up there. It’s tucked away in my favorite corner of my office - the sun streams freely through the window, my diffuser is going next to me, and I just feel cozy + at peace there.
I set my phone timer for 3 minutes, close my eyes, cross my legs (just the most comfy position for me), and put my hands on my legs face up. I put my hands like this because it gives me the sense of openness. Like I’m open to what God is sharing with me in these few minutes.
I take 3 deep, really exaggerated breaths. On the inhale I mentally say, “Inhale love” and on the exhale I say, “Exhale fear” in my mind.
After these 3 deep breaths, I like to spend a few moments in gratitude, thanking God for 2-3 specific things.
I spend the rest of the time visualizing what I want my day to look like. How do I want to feel? How do I want other people to feel when they’re around me? What am I going to do today to get to where I want to be? I try to get very detailed in my thinking here. There are no boundaries. I picture what I’m eating, what I’m wearing, what I’ll feel like when I’ve reached a new goal or milestone, etc.
And that’s it! Super simple. It’s a solid way to start my morning with intention and mindfulness.
Please know that there is no wrong way to do this! Don’t judge yourself if 3 minutes seems really long at first. The first few times I did this I would find my mind wandering frantically going over my long to-do list rather than peacefully gliding and envisioning the day I wanted to have. It takes practice and consistency. I’m to the point now where I’m ready to up my timer to 5 minutes because I feel like things are just starting to get good when the 3 minute timer goes off.
Why do I meditate?
Meditation is a time where I am taking care of my mind. I workout to take care of my body. I pray, journal, and read the Bible to take care of my spirit. Meditation to me is a form of self care. I like to imagine meditation as unclogging the pipes in my brain. Releasing thoughts that are not serving me and digging deeper into ones that are. Meditating helps me stay centered and start my day off in a place of peace + gratitude.
When it comes to anything related to personal growth I always encourage you to take the pieces that work for you then adapt everything else. You don’t ever have to do something exactly like someone else. In fact, how someone else does something probably won’t work for you exactly. We are all so different and so beautiful so I encourage you to figure out a meditation habit that fits you and your lifestyle. Maybe you’d be better off meditating in the evenings. Or outside. Or with music playing. Or laying flat on the ground. Do what you gotta do to make it work for you 💛
And last thing, I wanted to share a quick message from a sweet girl who DMed me over on IG after trying this method out. Here is what @hollyjolly_ had to say:
“I just wanted to tell you that your meditating idea has changed my world in 1 week. I have spent 5 minutes every morning just out loud telling myself what I want to get done at work today, how I want to feel, and focusing on one long term goal at work and what I can do today to work towards that goal. I have such a huge work to do list and your meditation idea definitely reminded me to focus on what I can get through today and stress less now about what will get done tomorrow.”
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I love how she took my idea and made it work for her! Thank you for sharing, Holly!