Meditation.
If you read the first word and groaned, you’re probably not alone. Actually, I can admit that I was tired of hearing about meditation and its infinite benefits. I was yawing when my friend shared how meditation changed their lives and helped them feel centered and grounded. Hippies!
What’s so great about meditation anyway? What’s the point of meditating?
Bruce Lee said: “Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless – like water. Now you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup, you put water into a bottle, it becomes the bottle, you put it in a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Be water, my friend.”
The word that shifted my mindset around meditation and caught my attention was: focus. In my previous “how a morning routine can help you stay focused,” I shared that the essence of feeling focused is your ability to stay present with others and your goals by creating awareness. There are different practices that can help you learn to work on the muscle of being present and create awareness, all start with practicing mindfulness. One of those mindful practices is meditation.
Why is that? Meditation allows you to sift through your thoughts, and to give yourself more clarity to carry with you throughout your day. According to an article by Yoga International, “In meditation, the mind is clear, relaxed, and inwardly focused. When you meditate, you are fully awake and alert, and your mind is not focused on the external world or on the events taking place around you.” Think of this state of consciousness as a deer when it is trying to avoid danger. It is focused on all of its senses, and it is completely aware of its surroundings in order to make sure that while it eats grass, no one will eat him. This is what you are trying to achieve from within.
Since I craved more focus with my work and life, I felt that there might be value in exploring meditation, especially when other things I tried didn’t help; Working out didn’t help, journaling was helpful but not quite enough. Surprisingly meditation, especially before I gave a talk, did the trick. And this shift with only five minutes of my day.
Impressive right?
This is when I started introducing meditation to some of my clients, especially executive clients who struggled with focus. I was surprised to see how two to fifteen minutes of meditation a day moved them from overwhelmed and stressed to manageable and then sustained.
There are many different kinds of meditation. Here are a few different kinds of meditation you can try out with the help of YouTube tutorials, or meditation apps like Calm and Headspace
1. Breath Awareness: as it sounds, this technique focuses all of your attention on your breath. You can even try to see how few breaths you can take- breathe in really deeply, hold your breath, and exhale for as many seconds as possible.
2. Alternate Nostril Technique: cover one nostril, breathe through the other, and then switch. This will make you conscious of your breath and is known to assist with anxiety, stress, and insomnia.
3. 4-7-8 Breathing Technique: inhale for 4 seconds, hold your breath for 7 seconds, and exhale for 8 seconds. This is an ancient meditation, and it another great way to bring consciousness to your breathing.
4. Body Scan: bring consciousness by scanning your body. Start with your head and work your way all the way down to your toes. Imagine breathing into each area you are focusing on, and focus on the way the different body parts are feeling.
5. Guided Meditation: if you are having trouble focusing and find your mind wandering, try using an app or YouTube video to guide your meditation with a calm voice
6. Mantra Meditation: The word "mantra" means “to deliver or free the mind.” When you meditate with a mantra you pick an inspiring mantra and repeat it in your head over and over until your meditation session is complete. One of the most well-known ones is:
Hare Rāma Hare Rāma
Rāma Rāma Hare Hare
Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa
Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare
Kali-Saṇṭāraṇa Upaniṣad
Hare Krishnas believe that the sound-vibration of the mantra has a direct impact on the soul. According to a philosophy of ancient India, the soul is spiritually asleep. Just as an alarm clock awakes a sleeping person, the Hare Krishna mantra awakens the soul to its spiritual reality and connects it with god.
When?
Okay! So, you might be convinced now to give it a try – but not the big question is when do you have the time to engage it to your day? Your days start early and end late. Here are a few of the solutions my clients designed:
Before you start/end your day – there are many articles about the power of morning routine, many successful people start their day with the same routine that includes meditation. What I have seen is that the earliest of the morning actions the meditation can be the easiest it is to do it and engage it into your day. You can also choose to close your day with meditation and engage into it self-reflecting, and gratitude.
While commuting to work - Commute by train/bus to your office? Use an app or set time to breathe while commuting.
Walking – listen to one of the audio options of guided meditation from apps, through YouTube, to company wellness resources while walking to or from your office. You can even use it after you end your run, walk, hike or workout at the gym.
In your car when parked - When I have days with back to back meetings, after I park my car and close the engine, I will stay in my car for 2-3 minutes and breathe before I move to the next meeting.
In your office – take 2 minutes after or before lunch time to breath. The 4-7-8 breathing can be perfect for a few moments break in your office.
Still not a fan? That’s okay. There are many alternative activities you can try out that others call “meditative activities” such as:
Listening to calm music
Focusing on the different individual instruments
Yoga
Art
Playing an instrument or playing a game
Running
Walking
Journaling
Cooking or Baking
Reading
Gardening
Remember! Meditation or meditative practice is less about being perfect and more about engaging activities that can help you to become calmer by navigating through your inner thoughts. In whatever way you choose to practice meditation, don’t look at it as a waste of time, but rather as an investment in yourself, so you can quiet your mind.
As J. Donald Walters said: “The more regularly and the more deeply you meditate, the sooner you will find yourself acting always from a center of peace”