Meditation is one of the rare occasions when we’re not doing anything. Otherwise, we’re always doing something. We’re always thinking something, we’re always occupied. We get lost in millions of obsessions and fixations. But by meditating, by not doing anything – all these fixations are revealed and eventually our obsessions will naturally undo themselves like a snake uncoiling itself.
Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche
You say, ” I don’t have time to meditate.”
Well, meditation is to humble down to each moment of life, and check-in with the state of your heart. Letting life be just as it is. Allowing each moment to be as it is and each breath flow as it naturally does.
So, “If you can find just 10 minutes every day with your mind, that’s enough.”
However, the modern age has added its own demands. A good active life should involve commercial success, a wide circle of friends, frequent foreign travel, close knowledge of a number of cities, awareness of leading ideas in art and technology, a sense of fashion, viewership of recent drama series, and, almost inevitably, a twice-weekly high-intensity workout.
It is a culture in which intense and painful doses of FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) are almost inevitable.
Our age is overwhelmingly alive to the benefits of active, dynamic, ‘noisy’ ways of living. If someone offered us a bigger salary for a job elsewhere, we’d move. If we get showed a route to fame, we’d take it. If invited to a party, we’d go. These seem like pure, unambiguous gains.
While the standard habit of the mind is to take careful note of what’s not right in our lives and obsess about all that is missing.
Lauding a quiet life in contrast, has some of the eccentricity of praising rain.
Here are a handful of steps you can consider to relax and meditate.
- Time: Meditation isn’t about length; it’s about frequency. In the same way, you don’t get strong by lifting one giant weight one time, you should try and sit regularly. 5-10 minutes a day is a great start.
- Go Impromptu: Try not to fix any routine this time for meditation. Rather do it whenever you feel like doing it. Since all you require is being present, you can even do it in your 10-minute coffee break or any time you feel like.
- Breath: Don’t try to ‘calm your mind’. Instead, appreciate the sensation of your breath in the same way that a wine snob tastes a cabernet. When your mind starts wandering away into thoughts, just recognize that you’re thinking. Then return to appreciating the sensation of your breath.
- Arms/Hands: Relax your shoulder and arms. Let your hands rest on your thighs. Alternately, you can also place one hand on another in your lap.
- Legs/Feet: If you’re sitting in a chair, keep your feet flat on the floor and your spine straight. If you’re sitting cross-legged on a cushion, the important thing is to have your ankles below your hips. If you need a higher seat, make one.
- Eyes: Decide what you are going to do with your eyes. If you want to experience to be more centered, close them. Or else keep them open to feel more anchored in the space you’re in.
- Emotions: Studies show an increased size in the brain regions associated with emotional regulations accounting for singular abilities and habits to cultivate positive emotions, retain emotional stability, and engage in mindful behavior.
- Gratitude is a mood that grows with age. Try to start appreciating the simple, important normal little things. Appreciate the slice of toast, the friendly encounter, the long hot bath, the spring morning, a quiet evening at home, a cup of tea, or watching the moon.
- Have a mindful shower, don’t rush. If you wish to get your speakers in there and play your personal favorite songs, do it! Focus on the feeling of the water upon your skin. Enjoy the bath.
- Write down your feelings if you’re stressed about anything. It’s always good to get it out, and by giving words to your anxiety, you get a more clear and better picture. Sometimes you might realize it’s not that big either.
- Hold a pencil between your teeth if you’re in a bad mood. This activity works instantly and sends happy thoughts to your brain.
- Stretch whenever possible, it gives energy and boosts confidence.
- Pour a few drops of any oil on the sole of your feet and rub them together for a few minutes. It has the power to relax you and guarantees a good night’s sleep.
- Light a scented candle or a stick in the room. That will lift up the vibe.
I personally have incorporated these routines in my daily life and have seen the changes! Once you have finished, you will feel a lot lighter and have a greater sense of clarity.
Our days are limited on the earth. We may – for the sake of true missing out – willingly, and with no loss of personality, opt to become a little modest in living and see what life has to offer.
