Today I started a 21 Day meditation challenge with Oprah and Deepak and I will begin this by saying that I already started off on the wrong foot because today was actually Day 2, but I blew off Day 1.  Now, in my defense, I had a rough night before the real Day 1 (I was unable to fall asleep until 4 am) and when I’m not rested, it takes a toll on my body, I know it’s an excuse, but I was in no way ready to take on Day 1.  I have done this same type of challenge before a couple of years ago but felt the urge to try again, this time the focus was on “Hope in Uncertain Times”.  I wasn’t drawn to the focus of this challenge, but more to the idea of starting the day with a more positive mindset, and to continue my journey towards peace and acceptance of who I am and where I am going. Needless to say, I started the day with big expectations!

Those expectations were quickly diminished, I don’t remember this happening to me the last time I did the challenge, but holy moly…..my biggest revelation today  was realizing that my first big hurdle will be figuring out how I can successfully sit completely still for 15 minutes. I mean total stillness – you want your mind to be still, your body to be still and yes, I know that if you are good at meditation you can tune out everything else around you but that is not me, in fact some noises felt like they were on a loud speaker!  I heard the crows outside “crawing”, I heard the stinking woodpecker pecking on my chimney (didn’t his mom teach him that woodpeckers peck wood not brick?), I heard the large bulldozer down the street, I heard the dog next door barking, I heard the water bubbling in my diffuser next to me, I heard the ice in the ice maker and I even heard the creaky noises in our vents.  My point is that my hearing became extra keen when it is in fact supposed to be tuning out those said noises. This would be an appropriate time to try some ear plugs, but somehow, I think that earplugs are against the rules of meditation!  And I didn’t just hear more things, my body wasn’t cooperating either.  At approximately 20 second intervals, I had a new itch. First my head, then my nose, then my ear (first one, then the other), then smack dab in the middle of my back, then the bottom of my foot, then my palm.  Then it started over again and this time brought along a couple of friends called Sharp Pains, Sneezey, Charlie Horse and Dry Mouth Needs Water.  Then the mind decides it wants in on the fun; can’t forget to make those calls, did I change the sheets this week or last, how many loads of laundry do I think I’ve got, I really should clean out the fridge today, tomorrow I’m going to do better, what can I do to make this easier tomorrow, I wonder how long it’s been surely it’s almost over, keep your eyes closed, why is it so dark in here, I can’t believe I went to bed so early last night – I should do that more often and on and on it went!  For 20 minutes – 20 minutes that felt like 3 hours.  Tomorrow has got to be better, it really can’t go much worse than today!

I don’t know if it is a coincidence or not, but after my feeble attempt at meditating this morning, I didn’t feel hopeful in an ever-changing world, but I did make 4 phone calls that I have been putting off, I made muffins, I made a lovely foaming face wash for myself, I cleaned the house and did the laundry!  Periodically I went back to the Mantra for today’s meditation and it is: I am pure potentiality and the Centering thought for the day is: Hope is my source of strength. Well, my hope is that tomorrow’s meditation will be a bit more successful and my source of strength is hoping that it happens!

People that know me, knows I am working on bettering myself a little each day.  Along with my diet, physical therapy and moving more, another big part of that is my use of essential oils – they are my first go to when I’m looking for additional support for my body and wellness.  It could be that I need a pick me up so I diffuse oils, someone cut themselves and needs an antiseptic so I pull out my reference book and grab an oil, I may have a headache and don’t want to take over the counter medications so I grab my oils and make a rub that helps ease the tension, I may want to replace some chemical filled household cleaners or beauty products, so I whip something up that’s all natural and I get the added benefit and confidence that I am taking steps toward a healthier me!  So, of course when I realized that this meditating thing is harder than it looks, I grabbed my reference book and started looking for some help!  Now, I’m certain that I have the golden ticket for tomorrows meditation. Sacred Frankincense – I am going to use this bad boy in my diffuser and I will give a little sniff before I start and will let it work its wonders!  If anyone is asking, no I do not think oils will solve all my problems or cure my MS, but I like what I see so far and am willing to try anything that naturally gives us a boost!

Because I’m so excited about my Oily adventure, I am going to share some of the things I use to help support mine and my family’s health and stay tuned to find out how I manage through this meditation thing! All recipes I make are made with YOUNG LIVING essential oils, don’t take my word for it, but check out the quality of Young Living oils.  From their Seed to Seal® process to their belief that life should be full of fulfillment and empowerment, and the fact that there is such an amazing opportunity to score freebies every single month, they are my only choice for oils.  Again, don’t take my word for it, do your own research!

Back to my failure at meditating, today I am going to keep thinking about the mantra and the centering thought for the day (even if I have to fake it till I make it!) – I am pure potentiality and hope is my source of strength!  I’m going to leave you with a word I love that a yoga instructor used during a class and is something I am working towards every day!

Santosha – to be content with what is