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How often do you think twice?

We think our entire life, without our brain being active we will die.

But how’s the quality of your thoughts?

We are what we think, this has been said by many wise people already and they said it for a reason. Our thoughts guide our life.

You tend to overthink everything I life?

I bet you sometimes feel like trapped in a fishers net. No matter in which direction you think you see obstacles, too many choices, too many problems which could arise.

Believe me, I know what I am talking about. I am one of these overthinking people and it is hard to change this habit as it doesn’t serve anyone, the least myself.

In general, people may think twice more often in situations where the stakes are high, the consequences of a decision are uncertain, or when there are conflicting options to consider. For example, someone may think twice before making a large purchase, accepting a job offer, or ending a relationship.

However, some people may be more impulsive and tend to make decisions without much hesitation, while others may be more analytical and deliberate in their decision-making process, leading them to “think twice” more often. Ultimately, the frequency with which someone thinks twice will depend on their individual thought processes, experiences, and decision-making styles.

Thinking twice is ok, thinking a thousand times is not. You will lose the joy of life because everything could eventually turn out to be a catastrophe if you think about it long enough!

I am not encouraging you to stop thinking, but I want to encourage you to stop overthinking!

Overthinking can have negative effects on your well-being, including those:

  1. Increased stress and anxiety: Overthinking often leads to increased stress and anxiety as a person becomes consumed by their thoughts and worries. This can lead to physical symptoms such as headaches, muscle tension, and fatigue.
  2. Analysis paralysis: Overthinking can also lead to analysis paralysis, where a person becomes so caught up in analyzing their options that they struggle to make a decision or take action.
  3. Negative self-talk: Overthinking can also lead to negative self-talk and self-doubt, as a person may constantly second-guess themselves and their abilities.
  4. Poor decision-making: Overthinking can also lead to poor decision-making, as a person may become so consumed by their thoughts and worries that they struggle to see the bigger picture or make objective decisions.
  5. Relationship problems: Overthinking can also impact relationships, as a person may read too deeply into other people’s words and actions or struggle to communicate effectively due to their racing thoughts.

Overall, while it is important to consider one’s options and make informed decisions, overthinking can be destructive to one’s mental and emotional health and can interfere with daily functioning.

What’s better than overthinking?

Let thoughts settle for a while.

To allow your thoughts to come and go without becoming attached or caught up in them is a solution. This can be done through various mindfulness techniques such as meditation, deep breathing exercises, or simply taking a moment to pause and observe one’s thoughts without judgment.

Allowing thoughts to settle can help to reduce the negative effects of overthinking by creating a sense of mental clarity and calm. By observing one’s thoughts without becoming attached to them, a person can gain a greater sense of perspective and become more aware of their thought patterns and emotional responses.

Practicing this technique can also help to cultivate greater self-awareness, which can be helpful in managing stress, anxiety, and other mental health challenges. By becoming more aware of one’s thoughts and emotions, a person can begin to identify patterns and triggers that may be contributing to their stress or anxiety and work to develop more effective coping strategies.

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Meditation Myths – What You Should not Believe

Meditation Myths – What You Should not Believe

I always try to explain why I would like to be able to meditate instead of just doing it.

As a mom the main reason is always: Lack of time!

Good excuse, isn’t it?

But honestly, it’s not the lack of time, it’s the weakness of willpower.

Sad but true, we find excuses instead of stepping in.

If I want something I surely will find the time.

So just a couple of days ago I decided that I want to change this and start a meditation routine, MY meditation routine.

Give it a few minutes per day! This is a start and everyone can find these five minutes!

But first, while thinking about this topic, I stepped over so many descriptions what meditation is and what it isn’t that I thought I need to write.

Write about what you please SHOULD NOT believe as it may ruin your attempts to find your own way of meditation.

Nothing fits into a certain structure, especially not a meditation.

Most of the people have no idea at all what meditation is.

They see it as an unknown factor and there the myth building starts.

Myths are:
  • Meditation is worshiping or praying – Noooooooo, it can be but it’s NOT a MUST!
  • Meditation is a religious act – Nope, again, it can be but it doesn’t have to be connected to any religion.
  • Meditation is nonsense – for people who are not willing to go deeper than the visible surface it’s a common excuse not to try it.
  • Meditation is hypnosis – no as this is a complete different field.
  • Meditation is relaxation – although you may feel relaxed after a meditation it’s not relaxation but a way towards relaxation.
  • Meditation is only for spiritual persons – another no because meditation is for everyone.
  • Meditation is neglecting reality – that’s so wrong, it’s a way of bringing reality up instead of neglecting it.
  • Meditation is for the weird – Yes, I love to be called weird because normal (whatever that is) is too boring and life is too short not to be weird from time to time 😉
  • Meditation is Magic and Mystical – I love the thought and even if it’s not considered magical – if that’s your approach to give it a try I would say YES, purely Magic!

So we have a list of what meditation is NOT but what is it then?

Meditation is…

This is the question which has 1001 answers because meditation has a million facets and faces. From my point of view it is something completely unique. Unique as the person itself.

If one person is meditating while walking through nature another one needs a special place and ritual to be able to meditate.

Some are chanting mantras and some need complete silence around them.

Some are able to quiet their mind and some are not but both are meditating.

An indeed wonderful description is the following from Deepak Chopra:

“Meditation is not a way of making your mind quiet, It’s a way of entering into the quiet that’s already there.”

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It is there!

The good news are that we all have it in us! We all have this quiet place somewhere inside of us, this realm for the soul and mind. The way towards it is what let’s us struggle and feel incomplete, stressed and not at ease.

Our minds wander most of the time, it would be strange if we had a quiet mind because we have so many things which influence us daily. What we need is to find a way to find this quite place. One way is to sit down and stop what we are doing.

Let go

Mediation is letting go of all of these thoughts and bringing our focus back to one point. And this one point is preferably just a flickering candle or a leave on a tree, nothing that raises further thinking.

That one point can be anything, a song, our breath, a candlelight, a certain sound, chanting, felling ourselves – you see there are many ways to meditate.

Surrender

Give it a try and just start to surrender to what is, the benefits are limitless.

Good luck and Namaste

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Yoga isn’t my religion

Yoga isn't my religion

Yoga isn’t my religion

This topic came up a few times since I started to practice Yoga and now I want to tell you that I can be a Yogi without being a Hinduist or a Buddhist!

Not everyone who is running into a Yoga Studio or carries a Yoga mat with him or her has suddenly a religion.

It’s not like “Buy one mat and get a religion for free”.

It is a fact that yoga works with each and every religion.

I am married to a Muslim and therefore I am in a couple of Facebook groups out of curiosity to read how other non Muslim women go along with their Muslim husbands.

What I realized quite quick is that many converted or reverted and are even more strict than a born muslim is.

We had the Yoga topic and I was bombarded with statements like “The wife of a muslim shoulnd’t do this!” as if I would instantly worship a “forbidden” religion.

Here’s my answer:

First of all, yes, my husband is a Muslim, but that doesn’t make me one automatically – like the buy one yoga mat it’s not “marry a Muslim and get his religion for free”. I’m still capable of choosing my own faith!

The second point is that I have never seen Yoga as a religion, why would I?

Many are discussing if you can practice Yoga and still hold your faith.

Why not?

The history of Yoga started around 5000 years ago and was connected to the Vedras which play a role in the roots of Hinduism.

What you can see nowadays, as they share the same language, is that some chanting refets to hindu gods.

Ok, but not every yogi is sitting in a class and is chanting in hindu (many are not even speaking nor understanding hindu so why would they do it?). There are many many people out there practicing yoga regularly whithout having chanted even once! I’m one of them.

I use mantras from time to time – uhuuhhh, what’s that?

A mantra is nothing else than any repeated word or phrase – in meditation you can use it for yourself to manifest certain things for your own life like for instance “Let go of …” or “Trust yourself and love yourself” – whatever is important for you rat that moment. Mantra comes from the Sanskrit word ‘meaning’.

The Yoga language is simply Sanskrit, the same way Christianity is in Latin but Latin itself is not a religion, Islam in Arabic but Arabic itself is not a religion and Judaism is in Hebrew but Hebrew itself is not a religion.

Yoga was even rejected by Hinduism because yoga would not insist that god exists. It didn’t say there was no god but just wouldn’t insist there was.

For me this is another proof that Yoga is not a religion and should not affiliate with any religion.

There’s not one religious creed to be found.

You don’t have to follow certain rituals, such as baptism or confirmation. You don’t have obligations like in several other religions, such as visiting the church or mosque for prayer, fasting, celebrating feasts or receiving sacraments.

What is it then if not a religion? Is it sports, fitness, a hobby?

No, yoga was formed as a way to sit for hours, days, months, maybe longer in a meditative state, as a spiritual practice.

It is a spiritual way of living.

It is a way that teaches you mindfulness, how to take care of your mind, body and soul and how to be a good person.

What about the yogis that eventually would like to reach the state of enlightenment?

This enlightenment will not turn them into a god or a worshiper of god!

It means that they are able to experience a state of inner peace, bliss, some are saying they’ve seen their inner light, they connected to their deepest inner self. But that’s indeed all – no religious sign.

It’s a journey to our inner self.

If I step on my mat I feel calm, I connect with myself and listen to my body, mind and soul.

I breate consciously and fade out the stress of the daily life.

It’s my time to unwind and relax while going in and out of different yoga poses that strengthen my body.

I listen to myself or am still and take the stillness as a recreation for my mind.

The time while I’m doing Yoga is simply the time where I am able to honor all I am and the people around me.

I feel blessed because in times of stillness you are able to connect to what really matters.

If it’s not my religion, why do I post Buddha quotes on my social networks from time to time?

Because I am in charge of who I am and what I like or dislike.

I love Buddha quotes but that doesn’t mean I am a Buddhist, I love quotes from ancient philosophers as well – there is lots of wisdom to be found in many directions and I don’t decide if I like it based on which religion the authors belonged to.

I choose what I like based on the words I read.

One last question was why I can say Namaste without being connected to Hinduism?

Do you have any idea what Namaste means?

My soul honors your soul.

I honor the place in you where the entire universe resides.

I honor the light, love, truth, beauty & peace within you, because it is also within me.

In sharing these things we are united, we are the same, we are one.

Said that I give you now my personal explanation; I’m open-minded and one rule for my life is to respect and tolerate every living being on this earth.

I would dare to say that I am a better person than someone else because it’s not my right to put myself in a higher position.

I appreciate my life how it is and therefore also honor or thank others because people teach people lessons.

I wouldn’t be where I am without all those people on this earth.

Sending love & light.

Namaste ॐ

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Struggling to get into a meditation rhythm

Meditation

Struggling to get into a meditation rhythm

I don’t know if you ever tried it but when I first thought about meditation I bought a small book which told on its cover that you learn quickly how to meditate.

I read it and that’s it. No inspiration, no guiding, no motivation for me at all.

I put it aside but the thought about needing something to stop my mind running in circles was still present. I took my iPad and downloaded some free apps with meditations to listen to and here I started.

Just using the earplugs and listening to it is the easiest way to start instead of reading lots of instructions. What happened for several times is that I just fell asleep after a while but that was fine for me. The women telling me what to do, how to breath, what to focus on, etc. has such a calm voice and in combination with quiet background music it’s really inviting you to have a nap. But again I wasn’t doing it regularly as I planned and I’m still not found a rhythm for myself. What’s the worst about it is that I see myself in front of stupid stuff on TV telling myself that this is relaxing time although I know I’m totally wrong. To change a manifested behavior is not as easy as I thought in first place. So if anyone has tips and tricks on how to change it please let me know. One thing I realized is that even the few nights were helping me getting rid of TV in my bedroom which is already a good thing. I turned back to what I was used to and am reading again. Maybe I’m expecting too much from myself which also isn’t unusual for a perfectionist. And in the end, the big question, what is meditation? Can’t it be a state of just doing something else instead of running in circles on your mind? If yes than reading already would be kind of meditation as its easing. During the time I read I focus on the story and not about problems, work, what to do next, what still isn’t finalized, and and and…

If I start thinking too much I take the earplugs and its calming me down. This will not be the end of this journey as I honestly want to get rid of stupid behavior like staying up too long without a sense but I think I have to accept and also to appreciate that the first steps are already gone, otherwise I wouldn’t be able to write about it. Sometimes you only realize small efforts if you see them written in front of you.

Maybe this blog is also kind of mediation for me as I’m focusing only on one single topic each time and black out the rest going on around and inside me.

I found the following definition and while reading it I was affirming to myself that I’m not too wrong in what I’m doing.

“Meditation is the act of remaining in a silent and calm state for a period of time, as part of a religious training, or so that you are more able to deal with the problems of everyday life.”

And another conclusion after I read is – am I doing it to match the definition or to feel better afterwards? Are we running to much after how we should be and how things are defined from the outside instead of focussing on what we like and feel comfortable with? But that’s another topic.

Keep the faith in your life and most important, keep it within you!