Change is a constant in life. Although we often try to resist or deny it, the truth is that everything is in continuous transformation: the body, relationships, our priorities, our environment. Sometimes the changes are small and almost imperceptible, like the transition from one season to another. Other times they're radical: a move, a breakup, a loss.
On a rational level, we know that change is a part of life. However, when we experience it firsthand, resistance arises. Change implies get out of the known, Facing uncertainty and letting go of certainties. Even positive changes can cause discomfort because they require us to adapt, to let go of something we've already mastered.
What makes us uncomfortable is often not the change itself, but the feeling of loss of control, of not knowing what will happen next. Our mind, seeking stability, tries to keep us in the familiar, even if it no longer does us any good. Therefore, learning to experience change with presence and serenity becomes a vital skill.
And this is where meditation comes in. Not as a magic recipe, but as a training for be present with what there is, without running away or clinging. A tool for sustain us in the midst of uncertainty.
Why is it so hard for us to change? A look from the mind
The human brain values predictability. From an evolutionary perspective, the mind is programmed to identify patterns, anticipate dangers, and keep us safe. Therefore, when something changes, even if it's not objectively threatening, a internal alarm.
This alarm can manifest itself in different ways:
- Endurance: We cling to the old, even if it no longer works, simply because it is familiar.
- Denial: We try to act as if nothing is happening, ignoring clear signs that something has changed.
- Emotional overflow: We feel anxiety, sadness or anger without really understanding why.
- Paralysis: We don't know how to act, and this feeling of being blocked makes us feel even more uncomfortable.
The role of meditation in the face of uncertainty
When we're in the midst of change, the world can seem disordered, chaotic, or uncertain. Certainties disappear, and that uncomfortable feeling of not knowing what comes next appears. Meditation to face change with serenity is a way to communicate with ourselves.
Meditation isn't meant to eliminate that uncertainty. Nor is it meant to make us immune to pain or fear. For this, we recommend Other forms of help with adapted massageWhat meditation does is offer an internal space of calm, a place from which to observe what's happening without getting caught up in the storm.
In times of change, meditation is like sitting in the center of a hurricane, where there is stillness, even though everything around us is moving. It allows us to regain a modicum of control over our experience: maybe I can't control what happens outside, but I can decide how I relate to it.
Meditate, then, becomes an act of presence Radical: I sit with myself, just as I am, without demanding that I be okay, without having to understand everything. Just being. Just breathing.
Real benefits of meditating in times of change
Meditative practices have been used for centuries to navigate moments of transition, grief, confusion, or loss. Today, what many traditions have known is confirmed: meditation can promote greater emotional regulation and a more conscious relationship with our thoughts, as observed in various people who practice it regularly.
These are some concrete benefits that meditation brings to change processes:
Calms the nervous system
When we sit to meditate, our breathing slows and deepens. This practice often induces a state of calm that many people associate with greater rest and a sense of recovery. Little by little, the body receives the signal that it is safe, which reduces anxiety and promotes mental clarity.
Observation without judgment
Through practice, we learn to observe our emotions and thoughts without needing to react immediately. This skill is key to change, where we often feel overwhelmed by what we feel.
Anchoring to the present
Change often triggers projections into the future: What will happen? What if this doesn't work? How will I adapt? Meditation trains us to return to the present, where there are generally more resources than we think.
Self-pity
Practicing a kind, non-demanding attitude teaches us to treat ourselves with tenderness, even when we don't know how to proceed. This is especially necessary when change feels like a loss.
Openness to transformation
Accepting change doesn't mean resigning yourself, but rather opening yourself to the new without fighting what no longer exists. From this place, change ceases to be a threat and becomes a master.
Types of change: external, internal, expected and unexpected
To understand how changes impact us, it's helpful to differentiate between them. Not all have the same emotional weight, nor do they affect us in the same way.
External changes
These are the most visible. They may include:
- Moving, breakups, job changes, births or losses.
- Changes in routine, family roles, and social context.
Although they are often beyond our control, we can choose how to respond to them. Even externally, there is room for internal action.
Internal changes
These are the quietest, but also the most profound. Sometimes we feel like something inside us has changed:
- We no longer think the same.
- We are interested in other things.
- There's an intuition that we're closing a cycle... even though everything seems the same on the outside.
These internal changes can cause confusion because They do not always have an immediate external reflection, and sometimes they're hard to explain, even to those close to you. But ignoring or minimizing them only makes them more uncomfortable over time.
Expected changes
These are transitions we know are coming: retirement, the end of a career, a planned move. Yet, we often anticipate the change so much that we experience it with anxiety before it actually happens. Meditation here can help us approach change from a place of conscious preparation, not fear.
Unexpected changes
An illness, a sudden loss, an emotional crisis. These are the most disturbing, because they suddenly take us out of our comfort zone. In these cases, meditation can serve as a tool for emotional support during intense moments.
Recognizing what kind of change we are experiencing allows us to understand our reactions and give ourselves permission to navigate it with humanity.
Meditative techniques that help you accept the new
Accepting change isn't the same as resignation. Acceptance means facing what's happening head-on without denying or exaggerating. It's an act of courage.
Here are some meditative practices that, in my experience, facilitate that acceptance from a place of presence and openness:
Mountain Meditation
You visualize a firm and stable mountain, crossed by changing climates. You are that mountain. Emotions pass by like storms or clouds, but they don't shake you.
Ideal for: moments of emotional chaos or feelings of displacement.
Body scan
It involves carefully exploring the body, observing sensations without judgment. It anchors us to the body, which is the territory where emotional change is expressed.
Ideal for: reconnecting with yourself when you're feeling very mental or disconnected.
Mindfulness of breathing
Observe how the air enters and exits, without altering it. Each breath is a reminder: everything changes, everything is renewed.
Ideal for: calming anxiety or returning to the present amidst uncertainty.
Mindfulness of thoughts
Observe your thoughts as if they were clouds in the sky. Don't fight them, don't analyze them, just let them pass.
Ideal for: gain perspective when the mind becomes repetitive or dramatic.
Guided meditations
Sometimes we need a gentle voice to support us. Guided meditations with affirmations can provide clarity and emotional support.
Ideal for: moments of emotional blockage or at the end of the day.
Breathing Change: Pranayama and Emotional Stability
Mindful breathing is a simple practice that can help us better manage how we feel. In times of change, learning to breathe mindfully can make a big difference.
Here I share with you three pranayama techniques that I recommend:
Sama Vritti (square breathing)
Inhale → Hold → Exhale → Hold (each phase with equal duration, for example 4 seconds).
Regulates the nervous system, providing calm and balance.
Nadi Shodhana (alternate breathing)
Inhale through one nostril, exhale through the other. Alternate gently.
It balances both cerebral hemispheres and stabilizes emotions.
Free conscious breathing
Observe your breathing without changing it. Just be present with each cycle.
Easy, accessible, profound. Ideal for everyday moments of transition.
These practices can be integrated into the beginning of your meditation, as a gentle transition into silence. Or as short exercises throughout the day, when you feel something moving inside or outside of you.
How to create your own meditation ritual for times of transition
When we are experiencing a change, whether chosen or imposed, creating a personal ritual provides us with structure and an emotional foothold. A ritual is not something rigid or complicatedIt's a conscious way of giving yourself space, repeated with intention.
Here I share a practical guide to build yours:
- Choose a realistic time
It doesn't have to be at dawn. It can be before bed, after eating, or after a walk. The important thing is that it's a time when you can to hold with some regularity.
- Create a cozy space
You don't need an altar. A corner with a cushion, a candle, a plant, or a meaningful image can be enough. That space will be your externalized internal shelter.
- Define a simple structure
For example:
- 1 minute of silence to center yourself.
- 5-10 minutes of meditation (breathing, visualization, body scan…).
- 1 closing sentence, like an affirmation that supports you.
- Add a symbolic gesture
Lighting a candle, placing your hand on your chest, or writing a word in a journal when you finish are all ways to honor your process and anchor the practice emotionally.
- Flexible according to your needs
There will be days when you need more silence. Others, movement. Your ritual can be adapted. The important thing is that it always connects you with yourself and the stage you're in.
This ritual isn't just another to-do list. It's an act of self-love. A space to listen to yourself, care for yourself, and support yourself when everything else is in flux.
Meditate not to escape, but to sustain
One of the misconceptions about meditation is that it serves to evade what we feel, as if we could "blank our minds" and forget about the pain. But meditation, in reality, is just the opposite.
It's being with what is, even if it hurts, even if it's confusing. It's training in the ability to hold what we feel without getting lost in it.
In my experience, meditation has helped me personally navigate difficult times with greater presence. Not to solve everything immediately, but to not abandon myself in difficult times.
Observing what we feel without fighting it can help us give new meaning to difficult emotions. It doesn't crush you, because you're no longer running away from it.
Meditation doesn't eliminate change. But it can transform your relationship with it.
Surrender to change without getting lost
Change doesn't ask permission. Sometimes it comes gently, like a breeze. Other times, it blows in like a gale. And in the face of it, we can resist it, or we can learn to consciously surrender, without losing our essence.
Surrendering here isn't about resigning, but rather about easing the internal struggle, letting go of tension, and opening up space. It's about saying, "This is happening, and I'm here to support you through this process."
Meditation is a form of active surrender. It doesn't numb us. It awakens us. It connects us with that part of us that can endure pain, change, and uncertainty, yet still move forward with an open heart.
I invite you to explore this practice. Not from a place of demand, but from a place of care. Not to become "good at managing change," but to inhabit it with presence and love. Because yes: change is inevitable. But suffering doesn't have to be. And often, what transforms the experience isn't what happens, but how we choose to accompany ourselves while it happens.
In Quiroessence We believe that balance between body and mind is cultivated every day. Our massage, osteopathy, and yoga center is located in the heart of Granada, just a five-minute walk from the Cathedral.
If you're looking for a space to take care of yourself, relax, and reconnect, we'd love to welcome you.
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