Confession: I was once a reluctant meditator. An out-and-out resister, in fact. Despite knowing about the clinical evidence showing the benefits of meditation, I was sure it was something I couldn’t do. I truly believed that meditation was great for other people, not for me.

But I’m happy to report that in the past year or so, I’ve gone from a firm, “meditation is for other people” identity, to being a person who strategizes to find that time in my day.

And if I can do it, so can you!

My huge shift

I had lots of excuses about why I couldn’t meditate: I couldn’t sit still. Couldn’t quiet my mind. Didn’t feel like I was “good” at it.

I came to realize that in effect I was seeking less challenge, more comfort zone.

Sound familiar?

So why leave the comfort zone? Well, you can’t grow in the comfort zone.  I got to the point where the benefits of growth outweighed my need for the ‘safety’ of the familiar. I felt like there was more within me but I couldn’t access it. I was frustrated. And stressed out. The tools I had weren’t enough to get me where I wanted to go.

And then one more person told me meditation would allow me to get there. I tried it. I liked it. So I did it again. And again.

Interestingly, leaving the comfort zone has felt great. (So much for holding ourselves back to avoid hard, painful things. In retrospect, resisting meditation was a lot more painful.)

The proven benefits of meditation

First, a little bit about why meditation is good for you, and why it’s worth your time to fit it into your already busy schedule.

As a naturopathic doctor I am well-versed in the evidence and clinical applications for meditation. It is amazing how effective various kinds of meditation can be.

A quick PubMed search on the term “meditation” yields more than 2,000 studies. Some highlights from the research: Meditation may be as effective as medication in managing depression. It has been shown to improve mood, sleep, immune system function, and quality of life.  You can lower blood pressure with meditation. And manage heart disease.  Indeed, mindfulness-based stress reduction for heart disease, chronic pain and many other conditions is taught at hospitals and in private practices across North America based on the work of Jon Kabat-Zinn, PhD.

Even more compellingly, my own clients tell me that meditation practice helps them manage anxiety, gives them energy when their work involves long hours and traveling, keeps them happier, and helps them connect more with their friends and family. So not only do I know about the benefits from reading the studies, I know about it from clinical practice.

Here are some other great reasons to incorporate meditation into your life:

• It feels good.
• It’s free.
• It can help restore emotional clarity and balance, making you feel better if you are stressed or sad.
• It can energize you when you feel tired (though it’s not a  substitute for quality sleep).
• It can help you tap your inner wisdom when you feel uncertain about a  decision.
• It can reclaim stillness from the frenzied pace of modern day life,  readjusting the skewed balance between being and doing.
• It can reconnect you with your intuition and creativity.
• It doesn’t have to be hard.

How to incorporate regular meditation into your already full life

I offer the following tips in the hopes that you will learn from my mistakes, and because, simply put, mediation is good for you:

Be a seeker

There is no ‘one-size fits all’ with meditation, just like there is no one magic nutritional supplement that is right for everyone.

Once I realized this, I stopped trying to fit myself into someone else’s favorite kind of meditation and found one that was right for me. As someone with a short attention span and a tendency to be “doing” all the time, Shamanic journeying fits, as it gives me a focused something to do while I am breathing and observing. I found I really liked how I felt afterwards. And I liked the gifts it brought me, each and every time.

Be open and find the sort of meditation practice that works for you. Maybe it’s Shamanic journeying like it is for me. Or is it Transcendental Meditation? Mindfulness-based stress reduction? Guided meditation? Visualization? Chanting? One of the many specific yogic meditation practices, from Kundalini chanting and breathwork to Sahaja yoga’s mental silence? One of many Buddhist meditation practices? Walking? Sitting in nature? Prayer?

Schedule it

Once you’ve found something that works for you, schedule it into your planner. Block off the time or it will get swallowed by the many important – and unimportant – tasks and distractions that gobble up our days. Very first thing in the morning is the most popular time to set aside time for stillness, probably because it sets the tone for the day: calm, still, centred, grounded.

Create a space

If possible, create a corner in your home that is set up for meditation. Having the space ready, welcoming and comfortable removes some practical and psychological obstacles. It doesn’t have to be a separate room, though it is helpful to have a door that closes if you share your house with others.

Do it together

Meditating weekly with a group can help to deepen and reinforce your home practice. Or meditate with others in your household!

Take advantage of technology

Use YouTube and other electronic resources. Whether you are looking for guided visualization or shamanic drumming, you can find it online, for free. Use those 10 minute clips as your company or motivation if this is helpful.

Be flexible

Go with the flow when it comes to the details. At the cottage for the weekend? Meditate on the dock. Meeting cancelled? Close your office door, close your eyes and breathe into your heart centre for 10 minutes.

Take it from me, the formerly reluctant and now often blissed-out meditator – investing the time to find the meditation practice that feels right for you, and building it into your daily routine, will be one of the best things you will ever do for yourself.

Mahalia Freed is a Naturopathic Doctor, BodyTalk Practitioner, Writer, Speaker, Educator, and Kale Crusader. She works with people looking for healing that includes personal growth, as well as care for body, mind and spirit – what she calls “The New Holistic.” Her doctor’s toolbox includes herbal medicine, nutrition & supplementation, homeopathic medicine, counseling, as well as Traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncture, complemented by energy modalities such as Body Talk and Reiki. In addition to her private practice in downtown & east Toronto, Mahalia is also a guest lecturer at the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine and other schools. As a speaker and workshop facilitator, Mahalia enjoys providing public education in areas including complementary care for cancer prevention and treatment; natural medicine for hormone balancing; pregnancy; work / life balance; and stress & digestion. Mahalia writes for Huffington Post, the Women’s Healthy Environments Network and her own website. For more information see www.dandelionnaturopathic.ca.