I adore meditation but it takes practise. The first time I tried it a few years ago, my mind felt so busy. I had too much to do, it felt indulgent. Now I get why it is always worth it. I get how important it is to train a mind that can be prone to racing around. A mind that can be critical of the self. A mind lacking clarity. Sometimes it feels impossible to get into the habit, but I find that it is always worth it. Perhaps taking a quick 5 minutes at the start of the day or in bed at the end of the night. You could even do it in the bath, or lying on the floor. I keep a yoga mat next to my bed and often hop on it for a quick session.
I have prepared a short motivational meditation to help you become more grounded and present in your body. It’s less than 5 minutes. Give it a try and if you would like me to prepare anything specific then let me know. I often prepare a bespoke meditation for those that I coach or readers that write to ask me for support with a specific issue.
Over the years, and the more I practise, the easier I find it to get the mind clear. The ideal goal when we meditate is to get to a place where we are alert yet calm and clear. Sometimes you may be too tired which means you end up falling asleep. That is okay. It’s better than nothing.
I did a 21 day meditation challenge over Christmas and I loved it. I found myself really looking forward to tuning into the soothing words of Deepak Chopra. I was excited to find out what the daily tasks were. Some of them were pretty intense but staying curious is always good for us. A lot of you have told me that you want to slow down this year and be more present. This excites me. But I want to remind you to go easy on yourself. Start small. A short 5 minutes a day can easily lead to longer sessions. Get out in nature without your phone and practise the simple stuff that we forget to do like breathing slowly and deeply or focusing on the feeling of your feet in the sand.
Meditation can be for everyone. It doesn’t have to be complex so try not to overthink it. I spoke recently about the incredible advice Elaine Lennon gave on the mojo injection podcast recently. Distance yourself from your critical thoughts with 3 simple words. Isn’t it interesting? Let me explain below or tune into her words of wisdom.
Jojo Fraser is an award winning author, coach, podcaster and motivational speaker. Jojo believes that we are all born to lead. She has been a mental health researcher for the past 6 years and helps to empower, motivate and uplift the leaders she works with. She is a regular speaker on BBC Radio, a keen foodie, lover of running, wild swimming and she loves to sing.
Follow her popular podcast here, which is dubbed by her global listeners as ‘free therapy’.
Tune into her daily stories on Instagram @jojofrasermojo and Facebook @jojofrasermojo.
You can purchase her first book here. More info coming soon about book number 2.
