My meditation practice is up and down. I go through phases where I meditate every day. And then I’ll only meditate weekly at a meditation meeting I go to. Sometimes I’ll skip even that. I would highly recommend group meditation, though. I can more quickly and easily fall into a deep meditation. 

I notice that when I meditate daily, my anxiety is lessened. I feel connected. To my family, friends, acquaintances, the world, the universe, God, etc. I’m better able to distinguish my feelings. Also, to distinguish my feelings from others. I often feel others’ emotions. I think I’m an empath. Not sure if it’s from bipolar or a traumatic childhood. Or if it is unrelated, and it is just an attribute I have. 

My practice varies, but now that I have a mala, I’m meditating all the time, and it’s become exciting again. A mala is meditation beads in the Buddhist and Hindu traditions. You’re supposed to use a mantra with each bead you advance. It’s not how it’s supposed to work, but I often just count all 108 beads till I get to the guru bead. I find the counting relaxing, and it clears my mind. Clearing my mind of all the bullshit is such a relief, and the more I practice, the better at clearing the bullshit I get. 

When I’m sitting, walking, or lying in meditation, I try to relax my body, starting with the crown of my head and slowly working my way down to my feet. Sometimes I’ll tense the muscles and then relax them. All the while concentrating on my breath. Breathe work is important because it keeps me present. It is also a way to connect because it is both voluntary and involuntary. It’s voluntary when I’m paying attention, but I will still breathe even if I’m not thinking about it. 

My favorite pastime, fly fishing, is very meditative. Just watching a fly or strike indicator bob up and down on the water. Nothing else exists. Until a fish eats my fly and my meditative state is abruptly disrupted by an adrenaline rush. The entire process of fly fishing is not strictly meditative, but it is always mindful. If I’m not present in the fishing, I’ll make mistakes and tangle, miss a fish, or fall down. It’s not going to go well.