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I enjoy exploring and practicing meditation.
More and more research comes out constantly on the benefits of it.
But, like most of you reading this I assume, I'm inconsistent. It goes well for a while, and then I stop. Not sure why... it just happens. Like all things in health though, coming back to it and trying again is always a good thing;
...Each time you go back to a practice, you may end up being consistent a little longer each time.
...Coming back to it means you're interested, curious and wanting to learn and experiment more with the practice.
... Coming back to it may create opportunities to learn more about both yourself and the practice itself.
In either case, one day, something may just click and suddenly you're a regular meditator. Cool!
As some of you already know, and the rest of you will quickly learn by following this blog and/or joining our Zenergy Health & Lifestyle group , I love simplicity, the basics and consistency. I've been there, done that, researched and experimented with the fads, the quick fixes, and the "coolest new exercises" - They don't work. Well some might. But not for long, and that's not what anyone wants.
I love the idea that something can seem so simple to you that you think "it can't possibly benefit me", yet when you do it consistently over a period of time, you reap the benefits. That's my philosophy for the past few years both with my personal health practices and my coaching. Patience, consistency, simplicity and enjoying the process are the key elements.
Most of the time, we tend to overlook the basics.
Many of us feel meditation is "supposed to" look like it does here in the picture. Perfect posture, hands in mudra position and our minds travelling to far off serene lands that look like a beautiful painting. Hell you may even begin to physically begin to levitate OR your soul may leave your body giving you the chance to look down on yourself in the present moment, for that elusive out of body experience....
Well... That's not it. Sorry to burst your meditation bubble.
From health and fitness professionals, to meditation "gurus", to science itself; they will tell you that even ONE MINUTE of meditating each day, can provide some wonderful benefits, not to mention create a nice foundation of practice/habit for you. My very favourite "meditation guy", Dan Harris (author of '10% Happier' and 'Meditation for fidgety skeptics') preaches this as well.
1-minute...
EVERYONE can take ONE MINUTE a day to meditate.
If you say you "can't"...well, let's face it, you're lying to me and yourself!
I came across the OMM app: One-Moment Meditation . It's available on Google Play or in the Apple Store. It has a little cartoon meditation guy (who makes me smile every time I open the app).
The app is very simplistic and times you through 1-minute of meditation.
-Close your eyes.
-A 'chime' signals the start of your meditation.
-Breathe. Focus on your breath. If your mind wanders, don't stress. Acknowledge it and bring the attention back to the breath.
-A 'chime' signals the end of your meditation 60sec later.
Done. You just meditated.
BUT OMG!!!!
You only have 23hrs and 59min left in your day!!!
HOW WILL YOU POSSIBLY HAVE TIME TO GET ALL THE THINGS DONE THAT NEED TO BE DONE!!!!??!?!?
When you do decide to meditate, don't stress over where/when you do it...
-Sit cross legged on the floor
-Lie on the floor (belly, back or side)
-Sit on the floor in front of your living room chair or couch
-Sit on the chair or couch
-Sit on a park bench
-Keep your eyes open, and practice it while standing in line at the grocery store
-Lie in bed
Seriously. It doesn't matter.
Here's some math in addition to your extra 23hrs and 59min of time post-meditation left in your day...
If you meditate 1-min, EVERY DAY for a month = 30min of meditation this month.
Vs
Trying 5-10min in one sitting, and only doing it for a day or two.
It's not too complicated to see why you will get benefit from such a small amount of dedication to trying the practice eh?
Meditate 1-min daily for 6-months = 180min (3hrs of meditation)
Meditate 1-min daily for a year = 365min (6hrs of meditation per year)
Do that over a 3yr period and you've spent 18hrs of your life meditating (and that's only doing 1-min a day). At that point I wouldn't have to convince you of the benefits because, you'd know!
All I'm saying is, it's that simple. And even though our devices can be a negative quite often, they can bring positives when we utilize them for tools such as the OMM app.
Of course, don't forget, you can also just take a minute of your time to relax and breathe. That works too. :)