MEDITATION TIP OF THE WEEK
…IS A SERIES OF SHORT, EASY TO REMEMBER, AND BASIC TIPS ON HOW TO MEDITATE. PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK, IS IT HELPFUL?
Got a Busy Life? Too Busy to Meditate?
If you’re like me, you’ve got a busy life and barely have time to think about adding something else into your schedule. So when I keep on writing that you really should learn to meditate, or when I repeatedly say that you should continue with a meditation practice if you have one, do you just feel like telling me to “shut up!!?”
Recently my calendar has gone from full to exploding. I can’t fit another thing into another day without losing sleep or family time. There’s just no more room for me to schedule one more thing!! So, how do I meditate? Where do I find the time?
Many Short Sessions During the Day
Do you ever get hung up on what you think meditation “is” and how you have to “be” when you meditate? If so, then think on this; meditation is simply, in its essence, a state of non-distraction.
If meditation is a state of non-distraction, then can’t you practice it continually, in lots of short sessions throughout your day? Yes, you can!
Short sessions, many short sessions, are how I manage to keep up with a meditation practice. I’ve learned how to do meditation, and I have put some time in formally, i.e., sitting on a cushion or chair and practicing, away from the busy-ness of my life. Yes, I’ve put in the time. But now, especially as busy as I am, the only way that I can meditate is to take the many moments within my busy day and use them as “mini” meditation sessions.
When you begin practicing meditation, you will need to have some kind of formal practice. What that means is that you should take some time out of your day to practice formally, taking time away from your busy schedule, and “getting to know” your practice. But, once you’ve done that, then it’s time to integrate your practice into the day.
Just Say Yes to Meditation!
“But,” you say, “But, meditation isn’t easy! It takes time…I’m distracted…I’m no good at it!” Right, meditation does take time. And you may not be good at…at first. But think about this, the time that you take to learn how to meditate will come back to you many times over when you realize that meditation also helps you to be more present in your daily life.
Learning to meditate means that you can learn how to be more present in the time that you spend doing everything else. Meditation is about living life fully. So, why wouldn’t you say “yes” to meditation when it’s going to bring you greater presence (and less distraction) in your life.
Isn’t Learning to Meditate Difficult?
It’s not that learning to meditate is difficult…although it may be. It’s that once you’ve learned, you need to practice it and the best way to do this is to take “mini-breaks” during the day to practice.
How long should these breaks be? Seriously, your short sessions can be 10-15 seconds. Seriously! It’s not so much about sitting for long periods of time as it is about getting your mind used to coming back to a state of non-distraction. And what’s almost “magic” is that as you get used to taking more and more mini-breaks, you’ll find it easier to meditate whenever and wherever. In fact, you may even find yourself meditating at work and find that your coworkers notice a difference in you!
So, the more mini-sessions that you do, the more frequently that you check in with your mind and take a “meditation break,” the easier it will become. Yay!!!!
What Next?
If you already meditate, then try increasing the number of “mini-breaks” that you take during the day. Stop frequently, just long enough to practice meditation in the moment and integrate it into every aspect of your life. Remind yourself with statements like, “Where is my mind right now, in this moment?”
If you haven’t learned to meditate, then start now. Since meditation is about being in the present, embracing the “now-ness” of the moment, there’s no time like to present to take the first steps in learning how to meditate. If you’d like, download a copy of the FREE ebook, “Can Meditation Change the Way That You View Your World?” It’s a great tool for learning how to meditate as well as for supporting your practice if you already have one.
Learn How to Meditate, Anchoring Your Focus on the Breath
When you begin to meditate, or even if you’ve been at it for a while, using the breath as the anchor of your attention is a powerful (and always available!) way of strengthening your mindfulness. I encourage you to download the PDF, Riding the Breath With the Mind, and to use that exercise as a way to practice using your awareness to bring your focus back to the breath.
ALSO – please see the “Related Stuff” links below, they’re past posts that specifically address using awareness during meditation, working with thoughts, and mindfulness. They’re great support for your practice!
Meditation Guidance and Support
Here’s a news flash: In the next few months, I’ll be rolling-out a menu of meditation guidance and support services and products designed especially for…you. Based on questions and feedback that I’ve received from readers, I’m designing a way for you to work one-on-one with me, or in a group format, to support you in your meditation practice. I’m still in the process of putting together the content for these support tools so please do feel free to contact me and let me know how I may best serve you.
This site has tons of tools for learning how to meditate and be compassionate.
I encourage you to look through the HUNDREDS of articles that I’ve written and especially check out my weekly meditation tips and other useful meditation materials provided for your health and well being. Please let me know if you’d like to discuss anything with me, have any questions or need clarification regarding anything that I’ve written about.
Other Great Meditation Resources and Information:
For More Information on How to Meditate
Please view the Related Stuff below for help getting started in your meditation practice! Also don’t forget to download my free e-book, Can Meditation Change the Way that You View Your World? and download the free e-book, How to Work with the Four Distractions to Meditation and get started learning how to deal with some of the major obstacles in meditation.
As always, please feel free to share your comments on meditation and contact me if you’d like to see additional content or other discussions on this site.
[…] I’m at work, I take many “mini-meditation” sessions throughout the day. Meditation is about presence, about being present in the moment without […]
Meditation may require practice, we can say it is not that easy thing to do as we need to have a good and full concentration. One reason why we cannot do certain thing is that we are busy or we have no time, but it is not an enough or valid reason, what we can think of main reason is that we are only lazy to perform such thing. go here
Congrats on a great Website. Quick question. I meditate every morning for 21 minutes and recently started doing a lot of mini meditations…every five minutes I take a 45 second meditation break. Of course, when I do my 21-minute meditation in the morning it’s rather formal and that includes an inspired and upright posture. My question is, how important is formal bodily posture during my 45-second mini meditations?
Thanks,
Matthew Morse
Brooklyn, NY
Hey Matthew –
Thanks for commenting, I’m glad that you like the website. I love your idea for mini meditations every five minutes…what a commitment! The fact that you base your mini-sessions on your formal practice is key and important for others to remember as well. Kind of like staying in shape, if you exercise, then when it comes time to sprint for the bus or after a child, you can get up to speed easily (hope that analogy worked!)
In terms of a posture, first I’d ask you, what do you think about the posture during your mini meditations? Do you find that it matters? Or, are you able to integrate the practice into your life so no matter what posture, or activity, you’re involved in you still maintain the practice?
It seems like if you’ve got your practice and method down, then you’d be able to integrate it more easily. In fact, there’s a post on this site, Try Many Short Meditation Sessions During the Day, that addresses what you’re talking about. And another post, 17 Ways to Practice Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life, that talks about how to use the “ordinary” activities in life as mini-meditation sessions.
Great topic and thanks for sharing with the community here.
Take care,
Jerome
Hello Jerome-
Thanks for getting back to me. I like your analogy about being in shape so that you can spontaneously sprint for the bus, if needed, or play with your kids…which all kids need. As for posture, at this point I’m sticking with a formal posture while sitting or standing…but I’m also starting to play with meditating while lying down, which I can only do when I’m totally awake. But I can see how eventually, I’ll be able to meditate in all positions and activities. I guess the key is to relax the face, the shoulders and the stomach, and, most important, relax the mind. I think a lot of what people call the “runner’s high isn’t just due to endorphins but is also due to having a relaxed face and mind while focusing on the breath. It’s as if the bouncing that I do in a slow to moderate jog really loosens me up and releases tension in my body and mind.
By the way, the 45-second mini meditations are a pretty serious commitment. I can only do meditations this often while I’m working out of my house. But a standing meditation once every 30 minutes or every hour should work in most offices. That way both the body and the mind get a break from sitting at a desk.
Matthew
Hey Matthew – You rock!! No wonder I always loved to run…when my knees were capable of such feats! I felt that kind of relaxation into the stillness of my mind. I still use that same approach, relaxing into what I’m doing, with bike riding. However, now I actually do it with the intention of integrating what I’ve learned through my formal meditation practice, that it – the state of non-distraction. Love it!! Keep sharing your ideas, they’re great! Take care, Jerome
[…] I’m at work, I take many “mini-meditation” sessions throughout the day. Meditation is about presence, about being present in the moment without […]
I love your website and find the idea of short periods of focus and meditation a great technique and solutions for the problem of finding the right time and place to meditate. I have missed many opportunities to meditate in the past because I thought I didn’t have the quiet place and 20 minutes to spare. I do have a routine for meditatation each morning for 20 minutes, but usually miss a second session for presumed
lack of time and space. Using mini meditation times I can achieve some of the same benefits so thank you so much for that option!
As a nurse I have advocated for the need for meditation, calm and focus to patients and staff and often been met with the time and place barrier. Mini sessions help all of us living in these hectic times have more tools in the toolbox to live our best lives and thrive.
Thank you!
Hello Laura, I hope that this note finds you well.
Thank you so much for your comments and for sharing. And I hope that many mini meditation sessions are working for you. It’s extraordinary how easy it is to meditate once we open up the possibility of using more of the “spare time” that we have throughout the day.
Please let me know if there are other topics that I could write about that would support you in your practice, nursing and meditation!
Take care,
Jerome