I was a meditation skeptic at first. I was aware of the benefits of meditation, but it didn’t compel me enough to work to get better at it. However, now I can honestly say doing it for at least 10 minutes daily has helped me focus better, feel calmer, reduce brain chatter, and overall boosted my mood.

In addition to the support from the Blaque Wellness Cohort, I’m currently reading Think Like A Monk by Jay Shetty and it’s transforming the way I think about meditation. I’ve always been an advocate for it but learning from a former monk has been very intriguing. Here are my personal tips for embarking on your meditation journey:

1. Start small

Start by getting into a comfortable position and select your meditation of choice. There’s a free app called Aura, that lets you do 3-minute meditations. They have some great ones on there and lots to choose from. They’re short and impressive. Implement this into your morning routine for a couple days consistently. Then when you feel ready try 5 minutes, then 7 then 10 minutes. Eventually you’ll be able to do 20 minutes a day or more if you do it gradually. Jay Shetty recommends meditating daily for 20 minutes or longer to truly reap the benefits.

2. Focus on the breath as much as you can

Have you ever thought about why many people find it difficult to meditate? It’s because they suck at focusing. Meditating is ultimately the practice of focusing. Meditating consistently will enhance your ability to focus, decrease stress, and it will foster creative thoughts, and help you control your mind and emotions better. When you’re meditating the audio often tells you to focus on the breath.

That’s tough. How I have gotten better at is by acknowledging thoughts as they come into my head. When thoughts start to consume my mind, I say to myself “It’s ok for thoughts to pop into my head, now focus back on the breath.” Then I literally think to myself “Inhale, exhale” and focus on that thought to remain present.

3. Try different breath work methods

Controlling your breath is an immediate way to steady yourself and shift your energy. When I want to fall asleep quicker, I breathe in for a count of four seconds then exhale for more then four seconds. I count in my head and repeat this method until I knock out. Focusing on the counting helps me control the thoughts that pop into my head.

Two other breath work techniques I like are:

For energy and focus: Breathe in through your nose for a count of four, then exhale quickly through your nose for less than a second. Repeat this 10 times.

For relaxing yourself: Breathe in for a count of four, hold for four seconds, then exhale for a count of 4 through your mouth. When I’m stressed or feeling anxious, I use this one.

4. Find a meditation method that works for you

I love guided meditations. Some people prefer setting a timer and sitting in silence reciting a mantra to themselves. Or some people like to do visualization meditations. I recommend finding a playlist on YouTube, or downloading an app like Headspace, Aura, or Calm. Personally, using Calm has helped me meditate for up to 20 minutes per day consistently for the last month, so I highly recommend it. I paid for a subscription and I’m glad I did because when I invest money into things, I’m way more likely to commit.

5. Journal

Journaling throughout my journey has helped me track my progress with meditation. I’m the type of person that loves to track my progress otherwise I get discouraged from a lack of results. Some apps like Calm, keep track of how many minutes you meditate and your streaks of consistency.

The post Meditation Techniques That Have Transformed My Mindset appeared first on The Fire Inside.

Fine. I guess I can’t tell people what to listen to but I personally can’t fathom my life without listening to messages that fuel my soul. I’m extremely driven by my lifestyle, career, health, relationships, and personal brand goals. Although, there are many times when I feel drained, doubtful, and discouraged. In those times, I listen to some of my “virtual mentors” to get my head back in the game. Do you want to leave a legacy? When we consume content that helps us improve ourselves we have much more to contribute to human kind.

Below are 10 motivational speakers (or what I like to call “virtual mentors”) I couldn’t imagine my life without:

1. Evan Carmichael

Evan’s channel is how I discovered the majority of my favorite speakers. He takes powerful messages from many different speakers and curates them into singular themes. I listen to his morning motivational videos every morning and his Mentor Me series is also one of my go-to’s. Check out Evan’s videos, they’ll definitely transform your life. They have seriously altered my life in the past couple of years. Click here to visit his YouTube channel.

2. Gary Vee

Entrepreneur and CEO of VaynerMedia, Gary is a cut-throat powerhouse with straight forward advice. There’s a reason why he has 2.32 million subscribers on his Youtube channel. Check out some of his videos here.

3. Oprah

Billionaire media maven, actress, talk show host, television producer and philanthropist, why wouldn’t you want to learn from her?! Check out the OWN channel for many of her inspirational videos here.

4. Marie Forleo

Energetic and engaging thought leader who inspires others to build a business and life they love. Check out her channel here.

5. Marisa Peer

An exceptional therapist who has cracked the code to all our problems, which is thinking we aren’t enough. She provides valuable ways to start believing you’re enough in all instances. If you’ve ever felt inadequate or need help getting read of self doubt, check out her channel here.

6. Les Brown

Dynamic speaker, author, radio DJ, former television host, Les Brown will have you clapping in agreement, laughing and rethinking your life. Check out some of his videos here.

7. Tom Bilyeu

Speaker and host who will introduce you to the people and ideas that will help you actually execute on your dreams and develop leadership skills in business and in your personal life. Subscribe to his channel here.

8. Lisa Nichols

Powerful speaker with an amazing story and tangible how to guides on enhancing various areas of your life. Check out her videos here.

9. Grant Cardone

Business mogul, author of eight business books, thirteen business programs, and he is the CEO of seven privately held companies. Check out his channel and follow him on social media because him and his wife are very entertaining.

10. Mel Roberts

The queen of the 5-second rule. Her principles remind me how to switch my mind frame quickly to get more done. Check out some of her videos here.

The post Motivational Speakers I Couldn’t Imagine My Life Without appeared first on The Fire Inside.

Self-care has been an increasingly popular topic and I’m here for it! You cannot serve from an empty vessel. Self-care is the action that comes as a result of your love for yourself. Thus, it’s more than a trend it’s a lifestyle. Having consistent self-care routines lead to more positive feelings and boost your confidence and self-esteem.

Overworked people tend to make more mistakes, act out of emotion instead of being rational, and are dissatisfied with their lives.  Believe me, I’ve felt this way many times and still do from time to time. Whenever I start to feel overwhelmed and like I’m struggling to maintain focus, I prioritize doing something that makes me happy. I speed up my progress by slowing down.

No matter how busy you are, you deserve time to take care of your well being. Your relationship with yourself is the longest and most important one you’ll ever have.

Caring for yourself is not self-indulgence. It is self-preservation. 

Not sure how to make time for self-care?

Here’s 4 ways to treat your self-care routine like the necessity it is:

1. Plan & prepare for your self-care activity ahead of time

2. Focus on spending your allocated time doing something you selfishly enjoy

3. Commit to your plan like it’s a meeting you cannot miss (because it is!)

4. Reflect on how you feel after you’re done

Needs ideas on how to spend your ‘me” time?

Here’s a list of some of my favorite self-care activities:

• Read
• Meditate
• Journal
• Got to the spa
• Get your hair/nails done
• Nap
• Go on a date (by yourself, with friends or someone you actually like)
• Binge watch a show
• Travel
• Treat yourself to something you love
• Spend a day without social media
• Do something creative
• Go to the spa
• Dance to your favorite songs
• Listen to a podcast
• Watch your favorite movie
• Spend time in nature
• Spend some time alone

Maintaining mindfulness and prioritizing self-care counteracts the negatives thoughts that deplete your mood, energy, and overall quality of life. Also, you won’t ever run into anyone who says, “I regret eating healthy, going to therapy, exercising, and treating myself kindly.” Life is more than what pays your bills. You have more to contribute to this world and your life than the number your paycheck reflects.

The post The Importance of Self-Care appeared first on The Fire Inside.

In this blog post, I’m going to share 7 ways you can alleviate stress on a hectic day.

1. Chew gum

A study showed that people who chewed gum had a greater sense of well-being, improved levels of anxiety, mood and fatigue. Chewing gum arouses your brain. The increased blood flow in your brain supports brain waves similar to those of relaxed people.

2. Smile

When you’re stressed, smiling is probably not the easiest thing to do. However, force yourself to smile and say positive affirmations to yourself. Even if they feel facetious, the optimism will decrease your stress levels. Smiling and laughing is one of the best ways to instantly lighten your mood. So remember to smile and find one thing to feel grateful for in that present moment.

3. Listen to your favorite song or favorite TED Talk video

When I feel overwhelmed, the right song can really get me hype and motivate me to keep pushing. Create a playlist of mood boosting music or a playlist of your favorite Ted Talks. Listen to these playlists when you’re down. It’s amazing how listening to things that make you feel good improves your mood.

4. Take a couple deep breathes

When I’m stressed or feeling anxious, I forget to breathe. Taking a deep breath weirdly makes you feel so much better. Not a quick breath through your chest but a deep breath from your belly can do wonders to your wellbeing. When you breathe deeply, it sends extra oxygen to your brain for clarity of thought and relaxes your muscles. It also gives you a moment to take a mental step back and look at the larger picture.

5. Stand up straight or hit a power pose

Standing up straight or performing a power pose makes you feel confident and assertive like the boss you are. A study by researcher Amy Cuddy showed that standing with an upright posture decreases levels of the stress hormone cortisol

6. Write

A lot of times when I feel overwhelmed it’s because I have way to much going on in my head. In those moments, I enjoy doing a brain dump. Try taking a pen and writing everything on your mind down. Release all the stress on to the paper. The more I write the more I realize that what I’m stressing over isn’t that big of a deal and I can find a solution for it.

7. Practice mindfulness

Allow yourself to do nothing and just be present. In moments of stress, it’s important to be mindful. Recognize how you’re feeling and where all your tension lies. I hold my tension in my forehead and often clench my jaw when I’m stressed. Identify your tense spots, release the tension and practice the simple methods in this post.

The post Simple Stress Relievers That Take Less Than 5 Minutes appeared first on The Fire Inside.