Isabel shared this post on her blog, and let us share here, too!
My life has been filled with blessings, including friends, family, a fantastic husband, and coincidences that fill my life with love and happiness. It hasn’t always been that way though. Back in 2006 I decided that I’d had enough and wanted better for myself, and made it my personal mission to create a life that I actually loved (or ‘liked’, to begin with).
Last year I had a horrible bout of insomnia. I have no idea where it came from or why, but it nearly made me fall sick in bed, as my immune system was feeling the toll of sleeping less than two hours a day for months in a row. Every day after 2pm I felt useless, couldn’t concentrate, my eyes were constantly dry and bags under them started to appear. My stress level went up and I felt sad and depressed from the extreme physical exhaustion.
When I first learned about zivaONLINE, something about Emily Fletcher’s speaking style immediately drew me in. She seemed very down to earth, and it was refreshing to see someone in the personal development field that was so relatable, so approachable, so like …a regular person (even though she’s a former Broadway star, looks like a model and has an awesome sense of humor…whatever…I’ll stick to my ‘regular person’ view of her). At this point, I have no interest in learning from ‘gurus’. Nope. Gimme a regular person who’s done great things, then I’ll listen. I like the personable, the relatable, and Emily was that.
I did my due diligence and read as much as I could about Emily’s meditation style, then decided to take the plunge and invest in the program.
IT’S BEEN 7 MONTHS FOR ME WITH zivaONLINE. SO, IS IT WORTH THE INVESTMENT?
zivaONLINE has been called the lazy man’s meditation as it is so gentle, so easy to do, everyone can practice it. The time commitment is 15 minutes a day, twice a day. Seriously people. If you want to create long lasting, ass kicking change in your life, 30 minutes a day split into two sessions of 15 is really not that much at all. After registration, you get one email a day for fifteen days with instructions, details, a few bonuses and some guided meditations by Emily. You get access to a Facebook community filled with support and loving kindness, where you’re encouraged to find an accountability partner or just ask as many questions as you need. Emily and her team are quick to answer and other members are, too.
After 7 months of consistent practice, here is a list of the changes I have noticed:
- Sleep: Holy shit. Really. I’ve been sleeping much better. I mean, I AM SLEEPING. Some nights my sleep is great, some nights it isn’t, but the common denominator is I SLEEP. This was my number one motivator to try zivaONLINE, as a way to treat my awful insomnia. #WIN
- An overall sense of wellbeing: Damn right. And I love that. I feel more alert, it’s easier to concentrate. I feel a (hard to put into words) love for life I didn’t have before, even though I’ve been on this path of self-growth for quite a while. I’d say something like a sense of invincibility, a healthy confidence, a trust that everything is and will be taken care of, have washed all over me.
- Better relationships: This has been a big one for me. I am more authentic in the way I approach people which is great, but the biggest shift is, my need to criticize others has greatly subsided. I’ve never been the type to put my nose in people’s business or to bluntly tell them what I think about their decisions BUT the dialogue is in my head, which in the past used to lead to useless negative talk that would become resentment and ultimately, anger. So, I am less angry. Worth noting: I NEVER thought, in a million years, that practicing zivaONLINE would address this.
- Stress/Anxiety relief: Overall, I don’t consider myself a stressed out person, but there are certain events and situations that, historically, bring stress for days. What I’ve noticed is my reaction to those types of situations has changed. A lot. For example, even though the regular stressor takes place, and it bothers me, I can view it differently and it doesn’t seem to impact me as much, or I can move out of it pretty quickly. Meditation hasn’t made me immune to life’s crap, but it’s given me the tools to deal with it better, faster and more efficiently.
- Relaxation: Well. Yes. No need to explain. That’s one of the effects of meditation, period. Taking life easier, fretting less, enjoying more. That’s it.
There you have it. In a nutshell, all the wonderful things I’ve experienced by committing to my meditation practice, 15 minutes, 2x a day for 7 months, and learning to let shit go.
Happy meditating!