Koality Livin

Practice 5 minutes of meditation. Repeat at least once a week.

Meditation is the perfect way to slow down the mind and unwind at the end of the day. Or you can meditate at the beginning of your day to help set a good pace and good intentions for the day ahead. There are so many different ways to meditate but my favorite is a guided tea meditation. I went to Charlestown S.C. this past September. I was almost 1 year sober from alcohol so I searched for “sober activities in Charlestown S.C.”. As I scrolled through the list of children’s activities I came a across a guided tea meditation at a local crystal shop. I decided to purchase tickets for my boyfriend and I.

I was just getting into meditation and I LOVE tea, so I figured the two would be a perfect combo! I was right, it was amazing. There are many benefits to meditation. A few are: being able to slow down and be present, clear your mind, and be thankful for the simple, yet wonderful things you have in your life.

Below are a few different ways to meditate:

1.Mindfulness meditation – The basic act of being aware — or mindful — of what you are doing in the present moment. That would mean you are 100% involved in the activity you are doing and not thinking about any distractions, stressing about the past, or worrying about the future. You are in the moment, fully.

2. Walking meditation – Instead of using the breath as the object of awareness, walking meditation encourages you to focus on each footstep in order to be fully present.

3. Loving kindness meditation – Loving kindness is a form of meditation geared towards cultivating compassion for yourself and others. 

4. Transcendental meditation – Transcendental meditation involves focusing on a specific mantra or phrase by repeating it during meditation. 

5. Guided meditation – Guided meditation is a state of relaxed concentration invoked and led by another party.

6. Tea meditation (guided or not) – A tea meditation involves being mindful and present during all aspects of the tea ritual, including making the tea, drinking the tea, and being aware of the effects on your mind and body.

I prefer a guided meditation over trying to meditate on my own, my mind tends to wander and I struggle to bring it back without the reminder of the guide. I began my meditation journey using headspace. They are simple and only 5-10 minutes long. After the first one, I was hooked.

I use this video for my tea meditation: https://youtu.be/nIWNREtlttU

If you have any questions about meditation, anything that you would like to share from your experiences, or any tips for meditating, please leave a comment.