What Does A Toothbrush and Meditation Have in Common?

Do you brush your teeth everyday?

I know… this is a personal question.

And… I am guessing I know the answer ….

It is “YES” – You do not leave your house until you have brushed your teeth…

Well maybe if it is an emergency … but if you are older than 10 I am going to guess you brush your teeth before you leave the house everyday.

So what does brushing your teeth and meditation have to do with each other?

First let’s look at the reasons you would brush your teeth:

Health …. A clean mouth promotes health throughout your body.Feel Good …. That fresh feeling in your mouthLook Good …. Something about that just brushed smile….Happier Friends …. If your breath is fresh – I promise you… your friends are happier!

Now let me ask you a question …. Do you meditate everyday?

I know there are some of you reading this that are answering “Yes! Yes!” …. But some of you are saying “Well almost everyday” or “Every few days” or “Every now and then” And at this point some are saying “Get to the point!”

Let’s look at the reasons you would meditate everyday:

Health …. A “clean” mind promotes health throughout your body.Feel Good …. That refreshed feeling throughout your being.Look Good …. When you are lighter and feeling good … you absolutely look good.Happier Friends …. When you are in that feel good place … the people around you feel good … it is contagious!
And More……Centered …. Taking this time to quiet your mind leaves you feeling more centered.Clarity …. When you are centered …. clarity instead of confusion is the order of your day.Connection …. Feeling centered and clear – you gain a feeling of connection … connection with who you are in this world.Balance …. Our brains are running thoughts all day long. Taking just 15 minutes a day of quiet time will give you the benefits of a quieter mind.

Scientists are now (finally) starting to look at the benefits of meditation – http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/01/28/how-meditation-may-change-the-brain/

Why do we sometimes meditate and always brush our teeth?

Habits …. We are all taught to brush our teeth at a young age… My mother did not tell me to brush my teeth if I wanted to … she just told me to Do It! And … I don’t remember her giving me much explanation of why I should brush my teeth … Again she told me to Do It!

I do remember rebelling against brushing my teeth…. My mother would ask “Did you brush your teeth?” — I wouldn’t answer (that’s because the answer was No). She knew I hadn’t so told me “Go brush your teeth” … And I would be huffing and puffing, doing other things… I just didn’t want to brush my teeth!

Maybe it’s because I hadn’t yet realized all the benefits … and I thought this was a frivolous thing for me to spend my time on.

Years later… brushing my teeth was now a habit for me and I did indeed realize all the benefits from cultivating this habit… But meditation …. I wasn’t quite there yet.

Meditate everyday…

I heard people talking about the benefits … but I had not yet lived them… I thought this meditation stuff was “Woo Woo” – I also thought it was hard and very time consuming. I believed I was going to have to sit in a particular way (that I did not find comfortable) and I was going to have to have absolutely no thoughts running in my head (which was totally impossible for me!)

… And I was going to have to do this for at least 1 hour a day …. That is what all the books I was reading said! I certainly could not justify using my time for this frivolous thing! Hmmm sounds kinda like my excuses about brushing my teeth. 

Through the years I heard others talk about the benefits …. and finally it started to sink in my head. I threw the meditation books away… Sat as I wanted to … put my attention on my breath … and when those thoughts ran in (which they did and still do) I didn’t freak out… I just put my focus back onto my breath.

I didn’t do this for hours … truthfully I started out with about 3 minutes … That was how long I could sit still and I let that be AOK! By allowing myself this freedom …. I did indeed start to do this everyday.

Today meditating is a habit for me ….I meditate before I brush my teeth … anywhere from 15 – 30 minutes … and I am absolutely reaping the benefits!

Would have been a lot simpler if my mother would have told me “Meditate and brush your teeth everyday – just Do It!”

Do you meditate everyday? If Yes … Why? if No … Why?

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"There are No Mistakes..... Only Discoveries!" TM ~ Ellie Walsh

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Tagged as: balance, benefits of meditation, clarity, connection, feel good, look good, meditate

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