FEATURED PRACTICE: Mindfulness Meditation, an Antidote to Uncertainty
Jill Kranitz is a Mindfulness & Meditation Teacher, Practitioner and Fine Artist (Sculptor-Painter). Her education includes a focus on psychology and art, with an emphasis on art therapy and she is certified as teacher and facilitator of mindfulness. She integrates a multidisciplinary teaching style with knowledge of integrative nutrition to support women, individually and in groups, to develop new awareness, compassion and healthy lifestyle practice.
A Health Crisis, Life Unraveling & Eventually, Peace
In 2014 a naturopath found the answer to why I was so tired, in so much pain, and could not focus or concentrate…the answer to why my life was unraveling. Lyme disease and mold toxicity. Over the next year, things worsened. The body pain and headaches like nothing I had ever experienced were debilitating. I was becoming a shell of my former self. I had no family near me. Meditation was the only thing that got me through countless horrible days and nights.
The pain was crippling, I would focus on my breath, one breath after the next. This practice allowed me to bring awareness to something other than the pain in my head, neck, and body. The stabbing pain in my head would pull me away from my breath, I would notice that my attention had wandered, and return back to the breath, time and again, one breath after the next, offering in compassion.
Perhaps you’ve dealt with some uncertainty of your own that has shaken your sense of peace. My meditation practice allowed me to notice my mind telling stories- that I would never be ‘ok’ again, that I would always be in pain. It allowed me to set aside the negative inner-speak, take each moment, one by one, not worry about the future, not focus on the pain, and through it all, find a sense of peace within.
Today, I have a daily morning meditation practice, anywhere from 20- 60 minutes. That doesn’t mean that I don’t have days where I just do a 10 min meditation, but those days are rare. At this point, my practice varies. For years and years my practice was mindful breathing, which is a focused awareness meditation. Now my daily practice varies. Though I might start with mindful breathing, I might turn to recognizing thoughts and emotions and noticing how they play out in the the body. Some days, particularly when I might be struggling with something difficult, my practice might be more of a heartfelt practice, like Loving Kindness or Compassion. Other days my practice is more of a natural awareness of whatever arises which is an effortless quality of ‘just being here’ and taking everything in.
As I tell all my new students, if this all sounds like a foreign language to you, don’t worry. Just realize that you’re in the process of building a new (good!) habit. So often people start and stop meditating, for various reasons, and then become frustrated or say meditation doesn’t work. I believe if one begins with the intention of building a habit, it sets one up to be able to really develop a daily practice and reap the benefits.
On your own, you can try this…
Drop any expectation of what meditation is, and what your experience of it should be. Get in a comfortable posture. You want to be alert, yet still relaxed. Sit, lie down, whatever suits you best. You can take a few deep breaths to settle in. Really exhale fully. Then go to the natural rhythm of your breathing, noticing the breath wherever it most reveals itself most easily to you. It might be in the nasal area, chest, or belly. When your mind wanders, which it will do, just notice that it’s wandered, and gently return back to your breath, time and again. You might even mentally whisper, “Welcome back” which offers a friendly and kind attitude. Try setting the time for 5 minutes.
How did you do? What came up for you?
You can share your experience or ask questions below in comments. If you would like to engage directly with Jill and explore her online offerings, please email her at JillKranitz@gmail.com. Jill recently piloted a new online program which combines mindfulness, meditation and creativity in the form of mandala-making. The next series launches in January 2021. To learn more and register, please visit: https://www.jillkranitz.com/mandala-series
