Have you ever looked at someone else’s life and thought it was soooo perfect? They seem to have their s*** together, unlike your own crazy, overwhelming & messy life! I get it, I’ve been guilty of that myself and still have to consciously remind myself that NOBODY’S life is perfect. We all have to start a yoga & meditation practice from where we are now rather than waiting for things to be perfect or we’d never start. Today, we would like to share our meditation stories.
Who are we to show you how to meditate?
Heather and I are both yoga teachers and long-term meditators. During a recent chat, we thought it would be nice to give you some insight into the world of our own meditation stories. It can be easy to look at teachers like us, and think “She doesn’t look like someone who struggles as I am.”
Here is a sneak peek into how Heather and I have navigated (and continue to!) our own mental and physical health challenges with our meditation stories.
Charley's Meditation Story
I have chronic pain. Are you surprised? People often look at me in disbelief. Apparently, I don’t fit the profile (whatever that is) of someone who has lived with pain for a lot of my life. When I was around 10 years old, I started getting migraines, it was intense for a child. Sometimes it was so bad, I felt like I was going to die. If you’re a migraine sufferer, you’ll know what I mean!
A few days a week I usually have low-level pain. Some days it’s worse and disrupts my everyday activities. It’s unpredictable and yet somehow I’ve learned to live with it. It can be hard but my family & friends understand. There is such a stigma attached to chronic pain as it’s often invisible and can have no definite cause. After all these years, I still don’t know exactly what causes my migraines. It’s like playing a card game and just when you think you’re winning, you glance down and realise you are inexplicably holding an entirely different hand.
However, the one thing that has helped me consistently in my life is having a regular yoga & meditation practice. Mindfulness, acceptance, and pacing have become my map to guide me through life. Being a yoga teacher, from the outside, others perceive that we have a perfect life and everything figured out. Nope, not true! However, I do think my practice helps me to accept that it’s all a work in progress
Heather's Meditation Story
I had a new born baby boy, a spirited 2 year old and a sudden a bowel disease diagnosis. Struggling both mentally and physically, I was inching towards “rock bottom” (pun intended)
I barely had time to drink a warm cup of tea or shower let alone consider time to meditate. Then I came across a comment that struck me, “if you have time to breathe, you have time to meditate.”
Is that all it takes? Seconds? Minutes? I had only heard my yoga teachers and trainers speak of their meditation practice which spanned between 20-60minutes a day! Could I really meditate in just 2-3 minutes? Now that caught my attention.
My physical health was slipping through my fingers and yet I had young souls that were completely dependent on me. 3 minutes was worth a try.
As I’m someone who likes a bit of structure, I set myself a challenge to do 3 minutes a day for 6 weeks. Fast forward 6 weeks and I’d already noticed quite considerable changes in my day-to-day sense of calm. I’ve continued on and even extended my practice out a bit longer on some days when I feel like it.
About Me: I’m Charley Hickey, yoga therapist and long-time meditator living in Fremantle, Western Australia. I’m the Founder of Charleyoga, and I’m passionate about making yoga and meditation easy, so you can enjoy the calming benefits to your body and mind on a regular basis. I love sharing my process that I’ve developed over 30+ years of my own practice.
You can catch me online from anywhere in the world or in person teaching classes in Applecross, Bateman & Fremantle, WA. I also have a private yoga therapy room where I specialise in working with people who have injuries, health concerns and chronic pain. Referrals from health practitioners are always welcome.