Vidyamala’s course, “Mindfulness for Women,” starts March 1, 2017
The “Mindfulness for Women” online course is kicking off on March 1, and it’s based on the book I wrote with journalist Claire Irvin. Claire hadn’t meditated before we teamed up, so she kept a diary of her journey. Her entries are relatable, often funny, and quite touching. Here’s how her first week of meditation went:
Claire’s Diary Week One: Body Scan
It’s 9:30 PM on an early spring evening. My husband Stuart is away, and I’ve just managed to get my six-year-old, Amelie, to bed. Normally, I’d be thinking about hitting the sack myself (I need those early bedtimes to keep up with my busy life), but tonight I’m a bit restless and enjoying the quiet. I remember my promise to Vidyamala to start my mindfulness practice, but I push it aside. I sit in front of the TV, but there’s nothing on, and the idea of lying down sounds great. So, I head upstairs, get into bed, and press play on my meditation recording. Vidyamala’s soothing voice fills the room.
I start to unwind immediately. This isn’t as tough as I expected. After a few seconds, I get distracted by a noise in the garden—it sounds like a cat climbing the shed. I resist the urge to check it out and wonder if I’ve locked up properly outside. It takes a moment to refocus.
When she mentions my belly, I cringe. It’s a word I don’t like, and I’m not fond of focusing on my tummy. But as I feel my breath in my pelvic floor and lower back, I start to feel like I’m getting the hang of this. I’m quite proud of myself. Then I hear another noise outside and tense up, trying to figure out what it is.
Vidyamala prompts me to relax my face. Oops! I realize how tense it is—my jaw, my teeth, my mouth. I relax one part, but another tenses up again. I find it ironically funny that relaxing takes effort. I laugh at myself and realize I’ve missed a few moments of the meditation. I’ll do better next time.
Afterwards, I decide to go to bed and notice how much more relaxed I am. Even though Stuart is away, which usually makes me anxious, I sleep like a baby.
Mindfulness meditations, especially guided ones, truly help manage anxiety. They have made a big difference in my hectic days.