Don't get enough time to yourself? Busy schedule overwhelming you? Is even a full night's rest not doing the job? That's where meditation comes in, like a caped crusader ready to BLAM! KERPOW! and CRUNCH! your enemies to dust.
OK, not quite. But mindfulness meditation really does help with all of the things I listed above. And the great thing is, it's as simple as can be. With as little as 5 minutes a day of mindfulness meditation you can begin attaining total rest and relaxation. And there's no "gear" or equipment required. As soon as you're done reading the simple mindfulness meditation instructions below you can start your meditation practice.
Transforming the stress and anxiety that comes from a busy schedule into peace and happiness is possible with a simple and consistent mindfulness meditation practice. When I first started meditating it was for just 5 minutes once per day. After a few weeks I noticed all traces of anxiety and stress had disappeared and what replaced it was a subtle inner peace and pervading happiness. Mindfulness meditation can have the same benefit for you.
So whether you're on your lunch break sitting in your car, you just put the kids down for a nap at home or or simply haven't let yourself take a few minutes to yourself lately- stop. Stop right now and begin the practice that can change your life. After all, it only takes 5 minutes to learn the basic practice and as little as 5 minutes to do it.
NO ONE is too busy for meditation (of any kind). The Quick Start Guide to Mindfulness Meditation is as simple as S.B.M.:
Sit
- Find a quiet place where you won't be interrupted.
- Sit on the floor in the full or half lotus or simply cross-legged. Or, on a chair with your feet planted on the ground.
- Acquire proper posture. Back and neck straight. Hands in your lap, palms facing up with one hand on top of the other, the left hand's finger joints on top of the right hand's. Thumbs touching at the tips creating an oval shape inside of your hands. Elbows point outward and shoulders square off. Tilt your chin slightly. Keep your eyes open and look down slightly a few feet in front of you.
Breathe
- Focus on your in breathe and out breathe. Breathe in, breathe out. Put complete focus on your breath....do not attempt to control your breath, simply observe it silently. Your silent observation will slowly begin to calm your breathing.
- Count each inhalation and exhalation. Inhale...one. Exhale....two. Count to 10 like this. If a thought distracts you, start the 10 count over from 1. When you get to 10, start over and attempt to count to 10 again. Do this for as many weeks or months as it takes until you can count to 10 with little to no effort. Then count each inhale + exhale as one. Then, when that becomes easy, stop counting and simply follow your breath. Don't rush this step, progress slowly.
Meditate
- Thoughts will come, do not push them away. Meditation is acceptance, not avoidance.
- Your body will itch and creek, do not move to accommodate them.
- Gently acknowledge any thoughts and impulses.
- Immediately recapture focus on your breath. This will be difficult at first, you'll lose focus on your breath constantly. Stay focused, after a while your mind will begin to grow quieter and you will start gaining control over your mind. This may take a few weeks or even months.
- Meditate for 5-10 minutes, once or twice a day, and increase your sessions by 5 minutes at a time whenever you feel comfortable. You should feel gradually able to sit down for longer and longer periods.
Want to learn meditation from the ground up? Have questions about your practice or just looking for some tips? Do you just want to know what the heck meditation really is? Check out The Beginner's Guide to Meditation.
