Midlife’s A Trip

The Path to Peace in Midlife

Posted on 15. Oct, 2008 by Karen in Family and Friends, Health, Inspiration, Politics, Reflections

As you can see from yesterday’s posts, I’ve been pretty stressed out about the tone and tenor of the presidential campaign lately. But today is a new day and I got to thinking it should be more about peace. For me peacefulness comes with meditation.

I learned about meditation early in life. Although my sister and I often laugh that our parents were like the Black “Ozzie and Harriet”, that’s not entirely accurate. You see my mother did transcendental meditation in the 60s and 70s. Every day, twice a day, Mom would go in the bedroom, close out the world–which meant us 3 kids, my dad, the dog, the incessant ringing of the phone, everything–for 30 minutes of TM.

We used to roll our eyes–that was big in our family–at my mother’s seeming eccentricity and commitment to something viewed as part of the “hippie” culture of the times. But as I’ve gotten older, I realize Mom was so far ahead of the times and of us, with her focus on creating peace in the midst of the chaos that was then her midlife.

As often occurs lately, I see my mother in me. My face is hers, her hand now comes out of the sleeve as I put on my coat and I too have found that the path to peace in midlife is through meditation. There are many health benefits to meditation including lower blood pressure, reduced stress and enhanced immune system. But it just makes me feel better.

My goal is to meditate first thing in the morning for 20 minutes. I like using music or a guided meditation. When I don’t meditate, by mid-afternoon I can feel myself surrendering to whatever issue is swirling around me on any given day.

If you haven’t tried meditation, it’s easy to get started. First you can sit in a quiet place, close your eyes and just focus on your breathing to calm you. Or if you prefer a more interactive approach, try a guided and very zen meditation like this video:

Can you use a little peace in your day today?

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Tags: lessons from mom, meditation, midlife, midlife daughters, peace, presidential campaign, relaxation, stress reducer, stress reduction, transcendental meditation