Silence the Mind

Practical meditation strategies for busy people, and reminders for the woke.

In the early stages of my spiritual journey, I was studying meditation while becoming a certified yoga instructor. I spent two years diving deep into the study of meditation as a tool to come into union with God, even as a born and raised Catholic. As I was studying pre-medicine in college and began meditating and breathing more deeply than I had ever done before, I experienced a profound spiritual awakening. I felt (kundalini) energy rise from the base of my spine to the crown of my head, and I felt every cell in my body come alive. I felt myself radiating pure peace from within. I felt my mind break through to a higher dimension of love towards myself and all of the universe. It was at that point that I started taking more control over my life, especially my health, as I was suffering from severe anxiety and depression at the time. If it were not for a meditation practice, I would still be in that place, probably addicted to drugs, and not be where I am now, sitting on a balcony in a temperate rainforest after having dinner with the love of my life. 

The ambition of that pre-med student has never died; however, I have been very much committed to elevating my life in all ways and mastering my craft in this world. At this point in my journey, I am fully sober. I eat as clean and organic as possible and drink the cleanest water I can get access to. I am always keeping my body in motion. From morning until bedtime, I am in creative mode, whether that's writing blogs, taking calls, creating conscious advertisements, business strategizing for clients, spiritually guiding, empowering and motivating thousands of people who are subscribed to hear from me… and all while being pregnant means I am fully occupied as a full-time entrepreneur and business owner. Having just become a wife and soon-to-be mother means I also have  pressure every single day to make sure that I and others are healthy and safe. The irony is that my craft, my professionalism, is in mindfulness and consciousness, and so I must walk what I preach and stress for nothing.

But, recognizing we are all busy human beings in a fast-paced industrialized world – or if you're lucky enough to live a quieter and slower-paced life–having to compete with that industrialized world can come at huge expenses to our mental health. I want to share with you some practical strategies that help silence the mind that are not too esoteric for anyone to grasp.

Practical meditation #1: Tune into the music 

Whether you are learning instruments or listening to your favorite artists, or just getting better in your gift, music is one of the quickest and most positive ways we can quiet the mind and raise our vibration. This means you are choosing high-frequency music. Even if you are in a sad, hustled, or sultry mood, still choosing to listen to music that will help you shift out of a depressed or anxious state, or negative or desperate thinking, to more thoughts and feelings of peace and joy will help you stay on task and focused with what is important in your life.

Utilize music as a sacred tool rather than a background noise. One of my favorite things in the world is when I go on a camping trip or a very long hike, and I get back in the car and I listen to my favorite songs. It feels so fresh and rejuvenating to tune into collective and shared emotions when I have moments to be fully present with the music after long periods of silence. No matter how immersed we can be in our own worlds, we are all traveling here together in the heart. Music is not a commodity. It is an absolute luxury and the sanctity we need – if we allow ourselves to receive it in its highest potency.  

Practical meditation #2: Do your chores in absolute silence—one chore at a time.

Being the busy woman I am, when I take a break to fold laundry, I cherish it so much more when my to-do list for the day is very stressful or taxing on my mind. I then have nothing but positive feelings to look forward to when I get to walk away from the desk and perform more mindless tasks that will improve both my day with productive calmness and the much-needed reprieve from the daily business. What I learned in my meditation studies is that anything can be a meditation as long as you are in full focus and presence with it, meaning you are not multitasking your chores. If you are washing dishes, you are only washing dishes. If you wash the dog, you will do it with love and gentleness and thoroughness. Completing chores in silence and deep presence allows us to feel much more fulfilled by the simple things in life.

Practical meditation #3: Be consistent with your goals 

Consistency is a meditation– so much so that if you truly immerse yourself in it, then you realize you have no goals at all. This is a very optimal place to be in one's life: where you are so present and trusting of your capabilities that goals dissolve and there is just the most natural, authentic being that comes into existence. This means that we do not attach any other value to an objective we want to accomplish other than being fully present in the moment as much as possible with peace, joy, and bliss. In this space, there is no room for doubt, anxiety, or depression because one then has no expectations. 

To lose expectations is to surrender control that we never truly have in the first place. Instead, we give more space for maximum optimization of the higher self. This is when the soul shines in a person. This is the key to finding your liberation. The consistent person is guided by wisdom and Spirit rather than numbers, validation, and specific achievements; this person is not living in the mind. In consistency, you are living in the whole integration of mind, body, and spirit. 

I hope these three strategies will help you adapt to a mentally addicted, stress-induced society that keeps spinning and spinning in circles. May you continue to ascend on your highest path. May this path return home to your soul, which lives in the silence, in the presence, beyond your mind, and the self. May you be one with the universe.

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Raileigh Easterling is the Founder of Conscious Lifestyle Coaching LLC. She is a motivational author, poet, & public speaker; a transformational retreat host & mindfulness teacher; and a business & public relations consultant.

Conscious Lifestyle Coaching LLC is a sacred space for entrepreneurs, changemakers, and visionaries on the path of self-development, healing, and spirituality to experience transformation and holistic growth.

You can learn more about her and her services, including her 1-on-1 coaching sessions, books, and free resources at consciouslifestylecoaching.com.

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