Why I Became a Meditation Teacher

Mindfulness is probably one of the most overused words of the last decade. Whether it’s “conscious indulgences”, “intuitive living”, or “meditation retreat” the buzz of these trends have overshadowed the simple magic of what a short meditation practice can do for the mind, body, and soul.

I have been meditating daily for about six years now. Let me clarify that, as I assume you have a vision of me on a beach in some white pretty workout clothes I have not gotten dirty (lol) peacefully breathing. I have been using a meditation app called Buddhify for the past six years. I listen to a meditation every night before I go to bed and like Pavlov’s dogs, the sound has conditioned me to fall asleep quickly. I occasionally listened in the morning to a meditation, on a walk, or during the workday. I’ve been a casual attendee of a few meditation classes but never had a dedicated practice beyond that.

This year, I began to notice some interesting changes based on these six years of meditation. When I hid under the kitchen table, experiencing my first earthquake ever in LA, I noticed, without reflection that I was breathing deeply in and out, just like my meditations had taught me. At work, when the day was getting crazy, I took 10 seconds to notice the feeling of my feet on the ground which returned me to a calm state - again I did this automatically. Feeling nauseous on the bathroom floor, I closed my eyes and did some visualization of the nausea cooling and disappearing and was able to get up off the floor and go to bed. Unbeknownst to me, I had been training my body over the past several years to react better without adversity. Without me consciously trying, my body knew what to do in these situations.

I began to wonder what would happen if I started to really dial up my meditation practice? How could I help others and guide them so their bodies and minds also reacted in a calmer way to the day-to-day demands of life? I searched for a long time for the right course and came across Anchor Meditation based in San Francisco. I loved their philosophy, the diversity of the practice, and the fact I could do the whole training online.

The training was not what I expected at all - it was very much focused on the why and how behind meditation. The biology and the history. The understanding of responsibility to students and to oneself. In the best way, the training surprised me, helping me learn the fundamental reasons behind meditation before ever diving into the practice. It has helped me to deepen my practice, bring meditation into meetings at work, and help my friends and family adopt some practices.

In 2020, I’m excited to bring meditation to The Lemon Tribe. I’ll be recording meditations and posting them here for you to use in both moments of stress and calm. I’m taking requests now for specific meditations so please feel free to message me if you have a particular one you’d like.

I’m so happy I became certified to teach meditation for so many reasons but below are the top 10 - if any resonate with you, starting a meditation practice or even exploring becoming a teacher may be a great way to help yourself and others.

10 Reasons I Became a Meditation Teacher

1. Learning How to Chill

If you’ve been reading LT long enough, you know I am a Type A person and that can be extremely problematic. Meditation equips me with the tools to calm myself down and return to my breath when my anxiety is high or my mind is spinning.

2. Practicing Presence

Meditation is all about bringing your mind back to the present moment. It’s essential because our mind is constantly thinking (often inaccurately) forward which is where anxiety blooms - fragrant and nauseating. If not forward, our mind is replaying (again, often inaccurately) the past where depression pulls at your shoulders, beckoning you into deep sadness. Focusing on staying in the present moment for me has helped me reduce anxiety and depression, appreciate the moment, and slowed down time.

3. Resetting My Nervous System

The autoimmune disorder I have, Dysautonomia, is known for the nervous system malfunctioning. The sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system misfire leading to a whole host of symptoms. Meditation helps to consciously activate the nervous system with control and intention. With this, I’ve been able to better control my symptoms which has been an incredible experience.

4. Investing in My Long Term Health

It’s no longer woo-woo to say that meditation positively impacts your long term health. There are thousands of studies that prove its benefits from lowering blood pressure to increasing cognition. Meditation has been shown to preserve telomeres - those little protective caps on the end of chromosomes that can predict cellular aging and preserve grey matter which is essential for high functioning. 10-20 minutes a day of meditation seems like a minimal investment for better health long term.

5. Improving My Work Environment

Have you ever received an email from someone who stresses you out and your heart begins to race? Ever said the wrong answer on a call and felt like you might pass out? Work is stressful. Even work you love, which I do. Meditation has helped me create distance between work issues and myself to better be able to objectively assess situations. Without my mind running a mile a minute about worst case scenarios and ruminations on what’s occurred, I have the brain space to solve problems more quickly and with less stress.

6. Helping Others To Heal

While meditation methods are variable in how much they help one individual over another, meditation is universally helpful when you find the right kind for you. Our minds and bodies were not meant to be on 24/7, stimulated constantly, unable to relax. Meditation is a completely free prescription for the demands of the world today. I have been so grateful to meditation for helping me and seen the benefits for so many friends and family. I want to be able to help more people have the tools to improve their health and well being by offering free and low cost meditation options.

7. Becoming a Part of a Conscious Community

Meditation teachers are people who want to help others become more conscious, at peace, and better equipped to handle their day to day. They are healers with a mission to improve the places in which they live and work. That energy is the type of magic that I want to surround myself with and it has been amazing to connect virtually and in person with these people. A shared purpose helps us to all connect with each other.

8. Deepening my Spirituality

There’s something in the water in LA that pushes one to self-discovery. Over the past year or so, I have deepened my spiritual connection with the world in ways that are religion agnostic (though I still feel very much Jewish). Tapping into higher consciousness and exploring where meditation can lead has and I know will continue to help me explore and deepen my spiritual practices which give more meaning to my day-to-day.

9. Experiencing Senses More Intensely

Meditation is a lot like magic. Stay with me here. Meditation insists one tunes into the senses, often one at a time. It brings you to the present moment. It puts more oxygen in your body for higher functioning. All of these combine to heighten your senses - making food taste better, colors look brighter, and smells envelop you like never before. It’s a truly incredible way to uplevel the way you experience even basic events like staring at a tree. Try ten minutes of meditation and stare at a tree for two minutes after. It’s amazing what you’ll discover.

10. Starting a Daily Practice

When starting meditation training, it occured to me that the recommended 20 minutes a day the instructor was recommending I should stop viewing as something to “get done” and bemoaning the fact I “had” to do it. Every morning, we get to choose how we wake up. We get to choose how we will perceive the world around us. Daily meditation practice is a choice to see the world in a brighter way. It’s a dedicated effort, every single day to start the day in a state of conscious awareness.

Do any of these resonate with you? Are you interested in becoming a meditation teacher? Head to Anchor Meditation for more information on becoming a Level I teacher.