Meditation is an outstanding habit to add to your daily routine. Not only does it relax you, but it helps with nearly every other part of your life as well. Your focus will improve. Your appreciation for all the positive things in your life will increase. You'll get more done. You'll sleep better. The list of beneficial effects is practically endless.
There are many forms of meditation. Rather than tracking down the perfect method, we're going to focus on simply making meditation a daily habit. In a month you're life could be vastly different!
Follow these strategies to make it easy to incorporate daily meditation into your life:
1. Keep it short, at first. The perfect way to fail is to start trying to meditate for 60 minutes. Meditation is a lot of exercise for your mind. Start with 5 minutes or less.
2. Have a schedule. The schedule doesn't have to be set in stone. Something more general like during lunch, or in bed after you wake up is fine. Pick a time and stick to it.
3. Find a good spot. You'll need to find a time and place that are conducive to being able to concentrate. Quietness and solitude help but aren't required.
4. Sit down. You don't need a special position, clothes, pillow, or anything else. What's important is that you can sit comfortably without having to move throughout the meditation. A chair or bench is fine. You might even find it helpful to sit on the floor with your back against the wall.
5. Progress slowly. Three minutes a day is great. You can do five minutes next week. You're not trying to prove to yourself that you can do it for 30 minutes; you're trying to introduce meditation into your life in a way that will result in it becoming a daily habit. Take a month to six weeks to work up to 30 minutes.
6. Focus on your breathing. While you're sitting, simply focus on your breath and your breathing. Your eyes can be open or closed; it's entirely up to you. Count your breaths and when you reach 10, start over again. See how long you can go before your mind wanders (and it will).
* When you catch yourself thinking about anything except your breath, simply return your attention back to your breath. It will be a struggle to maintain your focus at first, but your ability to do so will improve with time.
7. Do it every day. The key to establishing positive habits is to do them daily. It won't take long before your meditation habit is as much a part of your life as brushing your teeth.
You might be asking yourself what sitting down and counting your breaths will do for you. If you can learn to focus completely on your breathing, you can learn to focus on anything else, too.
Eventually, you'll reach the point that when you're working, you think about nothing but work; you'll be much more effective and efficient at work. When you're spending time with your family, you'll be able to immerse yourself in the joy of being together. During dinner, you'll think only about the dinner experience.
You essentially eliminate all stress from your life, because you'll always be thinking about your present experience. You can only be stressed when thinking about the past or projecting into the future. Meditation allows you to live your life fully.
Start meditating today. You don't need anything except a place to sit down and a few minutes of your time. But the benefits can last a lifetime!
There are many forms of meditation. Rather than tracking down the perfect method, we're going to focus on simply making meditation a daily habit. In a month you're life could be vastly different!
Follow these strategies to make it easy to incorporate daily meditation into your life:
1. Keep it short, at first. The perfect way to fail is to start trying to meditate for 60 minutes. Meditation is a lot of exercise for your mind. Start with 5 minutes or less.
2. Have a schedule. The schedule doesn't have to be set in stone. Something more general like during lunch, or in bed after you wake up is fine. Pick a time and stick to it.
3. Find a good spot. You'll need to find a time and place that are conducive to being able to concentrate. Quietness and solitude help but aren't required.
4. Sit down. You don't need a special position, clothes, pillow, or anything else. What's important is that you can sit comfortably without having to move throughout the meditation. A chair or bench is fine. You might even find it helpful to sit on the floor with your back against the wall.
5. Progress slowly. Three minutes a day is great. You can do five minutes next week. You're not trying to prove to yourself that you can do it for 30 minutes; you're trying to introduce meditation into your life in a way that will result in it becoming a daily habit. Take a month to six weeks to work up to 30 minutes.
6. Focus on your breathing. While you're sitting, simply focus on your breath and your breathing. Your eyes can be open or closed; it's entirely up to you. Count your breaths and when you reach 10, start over again. See how long you can go before your mind wanders (and it will).
* When you catch yourself thinking about anything except your breath, simply return your attention back to your breath. It will be a struggle to maintain your focus at first, but your ability to do so will improve with time.
7. Do it every day. The key to establishing positive habits is to do them daily. It won't take long before your meditation habit is as much a part of your life as brushing your teeth.
You might be asking yourself what sitting down and counting your breaths will do for you. If you can learn to focus completely on your breathing, you can learn to focus on anything else, too.
Eventually, you'll reach the point that when you're working, you think about nothing but work; you'll be much more effective and efficient at work. When you're spending time with your family, you'll be able to immerse yourself in the joy of being together. During dinner, you'll think only about the dinner experience.
You essentially eliminate all stress from your life, because you'll always be thinking about your present experience. You can only be stressed when thinking about the past or projecting into the future. Meditation allows you to live your life fully.
Start meditating today. You don't need anything except a place to sit down and a few minutes of your time. But the benefits can last a lifetime!
