Everyday Meditation
There is too much mystique and mystery for many people about meditation.
This is a pity as it is one of the simplest processes for reducing anxiety and making life more enjoyable.
You can meditate as you go about your daily life and it will make a difference.
One of the biggest misconceptions about meditation is that you must sit in an uncomfortable position in a quiet room and have lots of time to kill.
You don't.
When you start out it is good to find a quiet place for ten minutes and somewhere you can sit comfortably.
Practicing meditation is just like soccer practice or baseball practice.
You try out the moves so you can use them in a real game.
The same is true for meditation.
You develop the skill so you can use it in real life.
In as little as ten minutes a day you can develop the practice of meditation or mindfulness as some are now calling it.
Sit comfortably and relax your hands in your lap.
Focus your eyes softly on some featureless point in front of you.
Could be the floor.
You could close your eyes but beware if this is likely to make you sleepy.
Meditation is focused concentration and not intended to put you to sleep.
Set a timer for ten minutes so you don't have to think about the time.
Search all around your body for any tension and relax it out of you.
Let it drift away.
Now focus all of your attention on the breath coming in through your nose and going out through your nose.
Focus on the point where the air is in contact with you rushing in and out within your nostrils.
Your aim is to keep focusing all your attention on your breathing through your nose.
You will not be able to as thoughts will drift in to your mind.
Meditation is about noticing those thoughts, not becoming attached to them, letting them drift off past you and as you notice this bring your attention back to your breathing.
Your thoughts will keep wandering, let them, watch them pass and bring your attention back to your breathing.
You are now meditating.
It is as simple as that and all forms of meditation are variants of this process.
Do this half a dozen times over a week and you should start to relate to your thoughts as just that.
Thoughts.
When you have troublesome thoughts at work or play you can now use this process to remove your attachment to them.
See them as just thoughts and choose whether they can take control of you or not.
At some point of every day I meditate.
Sometimes for two minutes while on a train or between meetings.
Sometimes I will meditate for 30 minutes to refresh my mind and really watch with interest what floats across my mind.
Don't fear it.
Try it out and use it.
This is a pity as it is one of the simplest processes for reducing anxiety and making life more enjoyable.
You can meditate as you go about your daily life and it will make a difference.
One of the biggest misconceptions about meditation is that you must sit in an uncomfortable position in a quiet room and have lots of time to kill.
You don't.
When you start out it is good to find a quiet place for ten minutes and somewhere you can sit comfortably.
Practicing meditation is just like soccer practice or baseball practice.
You try out the moves so you can use them in a real game.
The same is true for meditation.
You develop the skill so you can use it in real life.
In as little as ten minutes a day you can develop the practice of meditation or mindfulness as some are now calling it.
Sit comfortably and relax your hands in your lap.
Focus your eyes softly on some featureless point in front of you.
Could be the floor.
You could close your eyes but beware if this is likely to make you sleepy.
Meditation is focused concentration and not intended to put you to sleep.
Set a timer for ten minutes so you don't have to think about the time.
Search all around your body for any tension and relax it out of you.
Let it drift away.
Now focus all of your attention on the breath coming in through your nose and going out through your nose.
Focus on the point where the air is in contact with you rushing in and out within your nostrils.
Your aim is to keep focusing all your attention on your breathing through your nose.
You will not be able to as thoughts will drift in to your mind.
Meditation is about noticing those thoughts, not becoming attached to them, letting them drift off past you and as you notice this bring your attention back to your breathing.
Your thoughts will keep wandering, let them, watch them pass and bring your attention back to your breathing.
You are now meditating.
It is as simple as that and all forms of meditation are variants of this process.
Do this half a dozen times over a week and you should start to relate to your thoughts as just that.
Thoughts.
When you have troublesome thoughts at work or play you can now use this process to remove your attachment to them.
See them as just thoughts and choose whether they can take control of you or not.
At some point of every day I meditate.
Sometimes for two minutes while on a train or between meetings.
Sometimes I will meditate for 30 minutes to refresh my mind and really watch with interest what floats across my mind.
Don't fear it.
Try it out and use it.
