Finding your pause button ~ meditation benefits all: Weekly Meditation with Tracy Brooks

There is so much research that supports the ways a regular meditation practice is beneficial. From improved sleep to enhanced concentration it can truly work wonders. It can lower blood pressure and regulate the body’s stress response. Which leads me to my favorite meditation benefit, “the pause button.’’

Before every action there is a thought/word/concept of what is. Often we bypass this because stress has a way of making us forget this distinction. So we become good at just reacting without taking that pause, which in turn leads to a cycle of stress. Yet in my experience I have found that my meditation practice has a great way of resetting this “pause button”, so that when faced with a frustrating situation I am more able to “pause, breathe and respond.” This is a benefit that carries into the whole day and evening, lasting long after the 20 minute meditation time.

Meditation is not a way of making your mind quiet. It’s a way of entering into the quiet that’s already there – buried under the 50,000 thoughts the average person thinks every day. – Deepak Chopra

I have found that the benefits of meditation can be subtle at first,or quite profound. Often we may not label  much benefit yet someone notes “hmm,you are seeming a bit calmer.”  Yet we are often tested in our new found mindfulness as we may find days with traffic, irate bosses, broken pipes seem to visit even more!  We may catch ourselves able to breathe a bit despite what life throws towards us. There can be a sense of seeing it or witnessing it before responding. Little by little we begin to see that we do have a pause button.

To meditate does not mean to fight with a problem.
To meditate means to observe.
Your smile proves it.
It proves that you are being gentle with yourself, 
that the sun of awareness is shining in you, 
that you have control of your situation.
You are yourself,
and you have acquired some peace.

- Thich Nhat Hahn

Tracy Brooks has been spiritual traveler and a soul seeker her whole life. She has always felt a call to be a listener of life and to inspire others. A yogini and poet since age 9, she grew up in New York rescuing abandoned animals and holding a space for those who hurt. Born intuitively empathic,she often finds herself listening to strangers open up to her. Studying education, psychology and engaging in community service invited her to feel we all have a gift to share. Life has led her to teach, write and now home-school her young ones. Blessed to be happily married to the love of her life and living (out loud!) in Florida, she has been embracing contemporary shamanism, writing inspirational pieces, and working on her first book. You can find her Facebook page here or visit her blog here. You can also email her.