Meditation.

It’s hard to believe how powerful this one practice actually is.

It’s hard to believe how many people are getting involved and how widespread this practice is becoming.

My husband is mediating.

My friends are meditating.

We’re all meditating (or thinking about doing it).

It’s no secret that things in our world are changing. As more and more pain is coming to the surface- our need to dive deeper and face the truth is becoming even more important. Our ability to slip things under the carpet and pretend they are not there is no longer working. This coping mechanism is becoming obsolete. It’s causing much more damage than good.

So, why meditation?

A few weeks ago, I had Larry Li on my podcast to talk about his experience with meditation. His answer, “that’s a loaded question, Chloe”.

“I think that when you ask people this question that they will say it is for enlightenment and for stress reduction. In my experience, I was pushed into meditation because of a desire for freedom and a relief of suffering. And I think that is a crucial piece for people when developing a meditation practice. It needs to come from some sort of internal desire or need, rather than an external expectation/should. ‘You should be mindful, you should be calm’. I think the reasons for meditation are vast, and I think ultimately meditation is about transformation. Through honesty, and acceptance, we can transform ourselves in a more holistic way with more depth and more life force because it is coming from the deepest parts of ourselves rather than some sort of external judgement.”

For me, meditation has been circling my world for years. From the moment that I stepped into Institute of Holistic Nutrition, meditation has been a part of my world. Even before that, I would sit in a yoga class in Vancouver and partake in a meditation, without really knowing what it was about or what was happening- all I knew was that people were doing it and apparently it is good for me. The times when I have been truly immersed in a meditation practice is when I have been away at a retreat, be it yoga or silence. Much like what Larry referred to, a lot of the time I have been approaching meditation from an external expectation/should. The thing is, when we approach something with external purpose, we can sometimes blow it out of proportion and make it almost impossible to access. The reason why, is because we are looking outside of ourselves for the “why”. The why needs to be you.

I think one of the most important parts of any practice is authenticity. Being honest with yourself and your community about what you are experiencing. Letting go of the idea of perfection and just allowing what it is, to be. You don’t have to be a perfect meditator, to meditate. You don’t need to be the most perfect yogi, to yoga. You don’t need to be the best cook ever, to prepare a meal. You just have to be you. Even better, be truly you. Express the challenges, embrace the journey and let each moment be what it is, flaws and all. Sometimes you may sit down for a meditation and it’ll be amazing and you will feel all sorts of insightful energy and light. Other times, it will feel like a task, and you will want nothing more than to end it and move on (get a coffee, some food or something else distracting).

When it comes to signs in life, I would say that when something continues to show in various forms- it is helpful to pay attention. There may be a reason, why the universe is sending you these messages. So, pay attention.

To celebrate meditation, I have joined forces with Vancouver’s favourite, Mala Collective, to spread the good word of meditation. During October, Mala Collective is holding a FREE challenge to explore the effect of daily affirmations as well as various ways to enhance your practice in a fun and accessible way.

Here are the details:

When: October 1st to November 3rd (30 days)

Where: Anywhere! It’s all accessed online

What: Guided audio meditations are led by Natalie Rousseau, a Yoga teacher based in Whistler through the Mala Collective website. Those who signup will receive a password to access the hidden page.

So how can you get involved?

This FREE challenge will explore the foundations of meditation as well as various ways to enhance your practice. You can sign up for the challenge here.

Chloe’s Countertop Bonus: Mala Collective will be giving away a FREE signed hard-copy of my book, Living in Light. So make sure to follow them on their social media channels and stay tuned to find out how you can win!

Also, there MIGHT JUST BE a HUGE giveaway opportunity for October with Chloe’s Countertop. So stay tuned and make sure to pay attention to my channel.

*Photos by The Essence Oracle, Faris Oweis and Mala Collective