When I first was introduced to meditation, sitting for FIVE WHOLE MINUTES seemed crazy! “What am I trying to do here, torture myself?!” I would think. The first time I meditated in a group I couldn’t believe I was going to sit and close my eyes with a bunch of strangers in a circle. Did I have a death wish?!

But after a couple of months, even with my low commitment level, I knew something was happening and changing within me. I could feel myself being a little bit calmer….. but not even that was enough to motivate me to get serious with a daily practice at that time in my life.

Until it hit….
I finally made it to a low-ish point in my life. I was medicated (thank you Prozac for your dutiful service when needed), overly friendly with alcohol and party favors- and feeling pretty lost with the obstacles life had been placed in front of me. It was time to bust a move.

In true Hazel fashion- I needed a challenge to motivate me. So, I signed up for a 7 day silent meditation retreat in the jungle of Colombia and decided to meditate my face off. In order to prepare for this- I started getting up earlier to set aside time for daily meditations.

I came back from this retreat feeling inspired. If a talker like myself could hold noble silence for a week, I could do anything!

I held to my daily practice and my life started to change. The “parties” stopped (so did the favors), the casual wine nights went away, friendships ended, my priorities and mental health started to shift and my reactions to things became more mindful. Eventually positive things just started to happen for me as a side effect of meditation.
Then the big moment happened where I knew I had changed and all my efforts had paid off….

I had been working a business deal for 7 months when the payday was to come, I found out I had been cut out of the deal- costing me a dollar amount that would make anyone drop to their knees- and at a time when I was hurting for it.

Although I was heart broken AND devastated, my reaction was nothing like it would have been in the past. Some how I was much calmer, less frantic.
“If this would have happened even a year ago you wouldn’t have been a very fun person to be around for while”. When my significant other said this about my reaction to the news, that was the moment I knew it was “working”- I should never stop meditating.

I can’t get enough of meditation and I hope you can’t, either!

The rest my friends, is history.