This is a post that’s going to hit you with a bunch of numbers that will likely mean little to nothing to you, but I’ve always loved how numbers worked, and what they symbolized, so indulge me. Like you have a choice.
On August 24, 2020, the day I turned 45, I turned my meditation timer up to 24 minutes. Previously, I’d upped it on July 23, when I advanced it to 23 minutes. A month of doing that prepared me for one more minute per day, so now I’m at 24, and it’s a nice round number. My goal is to hit 25 minutes a day for the fall, when meditation will be more important, and hopefully up to half an hour for the winter, when meditation will be absolutely vital. We know how brutal the winters can be.
For now, those 24 minutes ground me, settling me into my body again, calming my mind, and keeping bothersome and agitating thoughts at bay. Eventually they creep back, but they have less of an impact, and are less of a burden. The more I do this, the easier it gets. Such is the beauty of meditation.
Since deep breathing is a part of these meditations, I can also conjure a certain peace when I simply slip into a state of deeper breathing, which is helpful at stressful times. It’s a simple safety net when you don’t want to reach for other crutches.
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