xoSelf (short for Love Yourself)) is a weekly advice series where women can anonymously seek advice on topics about relationships, work, finding themselves or life challenges. xoSelf is responded to by educator & life coach Dr. Walter Hidalgo.
Dear xoSelf: Can you share some meditation hacks that will help me throughout the day to stay calm and release negative energy?
Answer: Find a quiet place. Sit down on a chair. Place your feet flat on the ground. Keep the palm of your hands either facing up or down by your knees. Move your head around in circles and relax your shoulders, arms, head, and body.
Begin by taking a few deep and slow breaths in through the nose and out through the mouth. Repeat this a few times. The next thing would be to clear….your…mind! This is very hard for most people. So what I suggest you do is that every time a thought comes to your mind, accept it. But then, put it away in “your file”/back of your mind and let it go!
Remember that those thought(s) have absolutely nothing to do with this moment and if you keep telling yourself that you will get better and better over time. Repeat this whole process from beginning to end.
Start by doing this for 30 seconds a day. Then move up to 1 minute. Then 1.5 minutes and so on and so on. As the famous rapper, Common, once wrote in a rhyme: “You need to do more deleting and less saving.” In other words, we carry so many thoughts and emotions from the past and future that we don’t ever appreciate the present moment. When you are present, breathing (from our stomach, not our chest), and clear of thoughts you will allow space for new ideas, inspirations, and dreams!
Related article: How to Remain Positive in a World Full of Chaos
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Dr. Walter Hidalgo is an educator and coach. He has a master’s of arts in Church History and Sociology from Union Theological Seminary at Columbia University and a doctorate from New York Theological Seminary where his focus was on the intersectionality between Hip-hop culture and socio-spiritual movements. He has taught in universities, high schools, prisons, not-for-profit organizations, and faith-basedinstitutions from all over the world. And finally, he is the author of the critically acclaimed book, “Beyond the Four Walls: The Rising Ministry and Spirituality of Hip-hop” where he
has worked with numerous Hip-hop artists, educators, and youth from all over the world to