Meditation Mantra for Busy Brides
Mindfulness + Wedding Planning?
Mindfulness- we all know we should apply it to our daily lives. Staying present, practising gratitude, and paying attention to the little moments that bring us joy. And yet, with career, home and family obligations it can seem almost impossible to keep a mindful mindset. Throw in wedding planning and life hits a whole new level of chaos. In fact, we can get so caught up in thinking about what needs to happen next that we miss the fun of designing one of the biggest days of our life. So how can we stay present while trying to tackle everything that needs to be done between the engagement and wedding day?
Why Meditate?
Meditation is one of the easiest ways to manage the stress of wedding planning. As little as five minutes of meditation a day has been shown to reduce anxiety, manage stress, increase happiness and foster creativity. All important factors while juggling the multiple responsibilities, tasks and personalities of planning a wedding. This simple practice will help keep you grounded from the moment you said yes to the moment you say I do.
I always find it helpful to meditate with a mantra. Without a few calming words to focus on my mind skips to a string of pop music. I’ll sit down and command my mind to go blank, only to have Taylor Swift pop into my head. “I’ve got a blank space, Baby. And I’ll write your name!” My all-time favourite mantra is, “Joyful in this Moment.” Try starting each day with a five-minute meditation session repeating these words either out loud or silently. You may even find yourself repeating the mantra during trying times throughout the day.
Meditation isn’t about becoming a different person, a new person, or even a better person. It’s about training in awareness and getting a healthy sense of perspective. You’re not trying to turn off your thoughts or feelings. You’re learning to observe them without judgment. And eventually, you may start to better understand them as well. – Headspace
Staying Joyful in the Moment
Every single venue is booked for the one day that worked with your families’ crazy schedules? Maybe you were meant to have an outdoor wedding in a park instead. How can you bring joy to this moment?
Bridal shop call to tell you the groomsmen tuxes are no longer available in slate gray but they do have access to the same style in neon blue? No worries. Those guys will rock blue tuxes and you are so joyful in this moment.
Turns out the bouquet your sweet nephew picked for the flower girl was full of poison oak? Someday you’ll laugh, and hopefully, her parents will too. Stay joyful in this moment.
Drink it In
Most importantly, this mantra reminds you to be truly present during the good times. It is easy to let the “busyness” of wedding planning take over and distract you from the beauty of your upcoming union. Once upon a time, marrying your soul mate was a distant dream, now it’s your amazing reality. So drink it in. The bridal shower with your closest friends. The engagement party thrown by your parents. Sweet moments writing your vows and sharing them with your future spouse. Listening to marriage advice from your grandparents. You won’t get this time back. How you choose to spend it is entirely up to you. Will you be distracted, constantly thinking of the next item to be crossed off of your to-do list? Or will you choose to be truly present and joyful in these precious moments?
Interested In Meditating?
There are many apps available to get you started, the Headspace App or Insight Timer App is a great introduction. Remember, it takes practice, so start with just a few minutes a day.
