In my previous post, CRAZY & SURREAL: You Won’t Believe What Meditation Has Done To Me, I shared in 10 chapters how I found my path to meditation—or more accurately, how the Universe guided me towards it. It took nearly twenty years and a life-altering event for me to finally embrace this practice.
If you find yourself at a crossroads or facing a significant turning point in your life, and you’re seeking something to hold onto—a touch of magic, a glimmer of hope to keep you moving forward—I recommend starting with that post.
In this blog post, I’ll delve deeper into my daily meditation practice, its benefits, and the techniques I use, hoping you might find some useful takeaways. My practices are a blend of methods I’ve developed over the years, combined with insights from countless books and research, ranging from ancient Indian and Chinese traditions to contemporary studies. These techniques are informed by the wisdom of monks, professional meditators, and scientists from diverse backgrounds.
How Meditation Shapes My Everyday Life—And Possibly Yours As Well
I just finished my morning meditation, and I’m feeling so peaceful, rested, and relaxed. It’s such a wonderful feeling, one that I wish many others could experience. This feeling is not like the intense rush of adrenaline you get from winning the lottery, landing a promotion, going on an incredible date, or sealing a fantastic business deal. Instead, it’s a calming, soft, and gentle sensation, like watching a serenely flowing river. You can’t help but smile gently at yourself, life, and every part of your body. You can feel the joyful vibration traveling throughout your being, from your head and heart, through your lungs and back, down to your feet. All parts of you unite, becoming unbreakable in this profound connection filled with love, support, and understanding, making you smile, laugh, or giggle even more. It feels like time stops; nothing else in the world matters, and everything you want and need is right here, right now. You don’t need to travel far, accomplish great feats, or search elsewhere to find your own happiness.
Isn’t it funny how life works? Just over a year ago, I was completely unaware of what meditation entailed, and I even held a rather negative view of it for years. Now, I find myself living by its practice, constantly praising its benefits. It’s become an indispensable part of my life; I simply can’t imagine living without it.
Whenever I try to explain meditation to someone unfamiliar with it, I often use this metaphor to make it easier to understand. Imagine my headspace as a bustling road filled with various types of vehicles representing thoughts (See the illustration below)—from big, heavy vans and trucks to reckless cars, dangerous motorbikes, and distracted pedestrians. Before meditation, my headspace resembled a chaotic and hazardous scene, akin to the bustling streets of Thailand, Vietnam, or India. Vehicles honked and jostled for space, each vying to dominate the road without regard for others.
Last year, after practicing meditation for a while, I noticed a significant reduction in mental chaos. There seemed to be fewer intrusive and unwanted thoughts invading my mind, and they moved at a much slower pace, allowing me to catch each one easily. These thoughts also appeared to be more civilized and considerate of others. Though occasional crashes and unwanted thoughts still arrived uninvited, the overall chaos had diminished greatly.
Fast forward to this year, and my headspace feels like a vast, serene highway. Sometimes it traverses beautiful valleys and mountains, while other times it meanders through magnificent deserts. Oftentimes, it showcases stunning sunsets or breathtaking natural scenery along the way. There are far fewer vehicles on this road, and they often move very slowly, captivated by the beautiful scenery and always exchanging friendly pleasantries with any passersby. Although rare, occasionally a small and irritating vehicle appears on the scene. For example, this morning during meditation, a thought suddenly emerged and grew impatient, wanting to cut the session short. In a matter of milliseconds, frustration rippled through my mind and body, as if every part of my body shared the desire to exit meditation. Fortunately, I was able to watch as the thought surfaced and expanded, observing it with an amused smile. Then, just as quickly as it appeared, it melted away, allowing me to regain peace until my meditation time was up.
My journey with meditation has been nothing short of transformative, turning my once chaotic and stressful inner landscape into a serene and tranquil sanctuary—a place of calm, spaciousness, and happiness that I eagerly anticipate visiting every day. If I were to pinpoint two pivotal moments in the last five years, they would undoubtedly be my tax case and my introduction to meditation. Through the practice of mindfulness, I’ve not only rediscovered my authentic self, desires, passions, and true purpose, but I’ve also uncovered a new dimension of myself that I never knew existed. It’s as if I’ve undergone a profound metamorphosis, making a complete 180-degree turn to become a renewed and revitalized version of myself.
I find genuine happiness in the life I’m living and the person I’ve become through this journey. I cannot wait to unfold many more amazing moments and events that the Universe has in store for me.
What My Daily Meditation Routine and Techniques Look Like:
If you’re seeking guidance on how to kick off your meditation journey, I highly recommend checking out the “Headspace Guide to Meditation,” consisting of 8 episodes by Andy Puddicombe on Netflix. It offers a comprehensive introduction to meditation techniques, allowing you to explore and find what resonates best with you. Additionally, there is an abundance of free content available on YouTube where you can learn and practice meditation.
What I’m about to share with you is my personal meditation routine—a blend of techniques I’ve learned, extracted, tested, and synthesized from credible sources. More importantly, it integrates seamlessly into my daily routine without creating chaos or demanding significant extra effort, making it both easy and motivating to follow.
I practice meditation twice a day: once before bed and once after waking up. The session before bed is shorter and more freestyle, with no strict time limits. I allow myself the freedom to drift off to sleep whenever my body signals readiness. This flexibility helps me avoid the time pressure and stress from not completing the session fully—challenges I often face as a high achiever and highly responsible individual. Amazingly, this approach brings a great deal of relaxation and allows me to fall asleep both deeply and quickly.
My Bedtime Mediation Routine:
I always begin my meditation practice by greeting every part of my body, sharing a giggle with them, and expressing my gratitude for their unwavering love and support, or simply for their presence that night. Then, I proceed to list ten things I’m grateful for about the day in my head. This habit has become second nature to me over the years, making it effortless and natural. I once asked my boyfriend to join me in listing ten things he was grateful for about his day, and he really struggled with it. So if you have trouble at the beginning, don’t beat yourself up about it—I was there too. Trust me, with a little practice and persistence, it will become easier with each attempt.
My gratitude takes on various forms, ranging from significant events to the smallest of joys. I’ve come to realize that I don’t have to wait for grand moments to experience gratitude. Instead, the ability to appreciate even the tiniest aspects of life, and sometimes even negative events, brings me immense joy and fulfillment.
Here are ten examples of things I felt grateful for yesterday:
- I’m grateful for having my boyfriend in my life and for our love and understanding of each other. This is actually on my list every night because I want to remind myself to never take him, us, and what we have for granted.
- I’m grateful for the wonderful weekend spent with him
- I’m grateful for the quiet evening walk in Vondelpark.
- I’m grateful for the amazing podcast on the topic of aging on YouTube that I listened to while walking in Vondelpark.
- I’m grateful for the delicious vegetarian meal I made.
- I’m grateful for the call with my mum, with my niece doing funny stuff in the background.
- I’m grateful for finding the new detergent that managed to wash off the stains and sweat smell from my favorite white shirts and skirts.
- I’m grateful for my apple tree bearing some fruit now; one is already almost as big as the apples I often buy in the supermarket.
- I’m grateful for having time to keep up with my Sunday journal.
- I’m grateful for the serious resurgence of my bloating issue because it motivated me to explore gut health, aging, and fasting in greater depth
Usually, my gratitude practice takes me no more than five minutes. Once done, I move on to the “affirmation” or “manifestation” part—whichever term you prefer. For years, I used to marinate my manifestations through my journal and occasionally before bed—only when something significant was on my mind. However, since last summer, I had the opportunity to read books on Taoism and from Dr. Joe Dispenza and listened to numerous podcasts on self-healing through affirmations and manifestations. I was mesmerized by what I read and the evidence I encountered.
Coincidentally, around the same time, I started experiencing ongoing digestive issues and slow metabolism—problems I had never faced before (please read more details in my other blog post). Despite numerous hospital visits, doctors, and tests, no one could pinpoint what was wrong. Every part of my body seemed to function perfectly according to the tests. But in reality, it was not so! What better opportunity than this to put these theories into practice and experience them firsthand?
My manifestation process is very simple. I begin by directing the focus and attention of all parts of my body toward the goals I want to achieve or the mistakes I’ve made that have significantly impacted me or others. This helps me remember and avoid repeating these mistakes. Depending on the severity, I may repeat this a few times to ensure it is deeply registered in both my conscious and subconscious mind. My goals vary and change over time. Sometimes, they are financial goals; other times, they focus on fitness, health, relationships, purpose, or direction in life.
When manifesting, I prefer positive affirmations over negative ones. Instead of expressing frustration like, “I’m tired of this digestive issue, heal me now,” I visualize the strength and resilience of my organs. I affirm my unwavering faith in their ability to combat any disease or sickness, keeping me healthy and energized. Sometimes, I reinforce this by clapping my hands, giving two thumbs up, doing a little wiggle dance in bed, or nodding my head approvingly.
In moments where I’ve lost my temper and entered fight mode during a heated argument—the worst way to communicate and resolve conflicts—I use my meditation to remind myself repeatedly to stay calm and show compassion, understanding, and kindness, even when it seems hard and impossible. I end by showing faith and confidence in myself, visualizing how I can benefit from better and more effective communication. I must say this challenging practice is not easy and may take a lifetime to master, but through nightly manifestation repetitions, I am gradually improving my communication skills, especially in negative circumstances. I am learning to take a step back and pause my explosive reactions before they erupt.
Once I finish my manifestation, I send energy, love, and encouragement to each part of my body by moving my attention from head to toe. Sometimes, I complete this before falling asleep; other times, I don’t. But this isn’t a concern, as my nightly meditation is meant to be easy and relaxing, free from pressure or rigid rules.
My Morning Mediation Routine:
Much like my nightly meditation, I begin my morning session by greeting each part of my body with a big smile, sharing a giggle, and sometimes adding a little joke or tease.
However, unlike my evening routine, my morning meditation has a set time limit of 30 minutes. Depending on how I feel, I might meditate for a bit more or less, but I aim for 30 minutes as a standard. The first 5 to 10 minutes are dedicated to repeating my manifestations from the night before, adding more detail and infusing them with the fresh, energetic vibes of the morning. After this, I transition into silent meditation for the remainder of the session. I sit quietly and focus on keeping my mind clear. When thoughts arise, I gently release them, sometimes smiling at them before letting them go.
The truth is, meditation, like physical fitness, requires effort and consistency. You don’t need to practice twice daily as I do. Start with just 10 minutes a day, two to three times a week. Begin by expressing gratitude for three things and choose a meditation technique that resonates with you. This simple approach offers an excellent foundation that feels effortless and is very easy to follow, especially for beginners. From there, you can gradually explore and deepen your practice.
It’s important to bear in mind that the benefits of meditation aren’t always immediately apparent or quantifiable, which can be disheartening. However, like any skill, it develops with consistent practice. Take the challenge and give it a shot for a month; you may find yourself pleasantly surprised by how seamlessly it integrates into your routine and how much better you feel afterward—just as I did
Happy meditating, everyone! Sending you some rain from Amsterdam today!
