Don’t have time to mediate?

You don’t have time NOT to meditate.

Does it seem like there are just too many things to do and not enough time to do them?

Over the years, I have learned that I don’t have enough time NOT to meditate.

Meditation helps me to fall asleep quickly and experience deep, restful sleep.  It also helps me to deal with stress and obstacles I face everyday.  This gives me more focus, so I have more productive hours in the day.

How many hours of deep, restful sleep do you get every night?  According to the National Institute of Health, “Adults usually need at least 7-8 hours of sleep a night to feel fully rested when they are awake.” (NIH News In Health April 2007.)

A daily practice of meditation teaches your mind and body to become more aligned and relaxed at your command.  This will help you fall asleep faster and have deeper, more restful sleep.

You will wake up in the morning feeling refreshed and fully rested.  You won’t need as much sleep, and you will have a clearer, more focused mind throughout the day.

Once you understand the benefits you can get from meditating, it’s hard to justify NOT taking time for yourself to relax and calm your mind to reduce the stress in your life.

So where do you start?

To begin seeing the benefits of meditation, here are some basics steps you can do anytime:

• Set aside a time everyday that is dedicated as time for you.
• Find a quiet place that is relatively free from distractions.
• Sit in a way that is comfortable to you.
• Relax.
• Bring your attention to your breath.  Feel the air flowing in and out of your nostrils.
• Begin to relax your body with each exhale from head to toe.
• In your imagination, find a peaceful place.
• Imagine all the details of this place and relax.
• Realize that thoughts will come and go, and that’s okay, completely natural and expected.
• Bring your attention back to your breath and relaxed body.
• When you feel it’s time to resume your day, remain seated and slowly regain an energetic posture. Smile upon yourself, knowing this little gift of time you have given yourself will re-energize you.  Now you’re in a position to give the gift of yourself to others you meet throughout the day.

When you feel stressed or overwhelmed, you can take a five-minute break from your day and practice this simple meditation. You will literally feel the stress melt away and the rest of your day will become more enjoyable and productive. Not only will you feel the benefits of this simple meditation, but those around you will also notice a pleasant difference.

You know the saying: “Practice makes perfect”, and I’ve recently heard that the truth is, “Perfect practice makes perfect.”

Practicing meditation can be difficult at first.  Many people give up or never even try to meditate because they believe meditation is too mystical of foreign.

This is where I was before discovering guided meditation.  I wasn’t sure if I was doing it right or if I had really gained anything from my time spent meditating.

With a guided meditation CD or MP3, you get all the benefits that come from years of experience at the touch of a button.

Instead of spending hours practicing and wondering if you are doing it right, just sit back and listen as the professionals bring meditation to you.

Best,

Scott Whitlock

What comes to mind when you hear the word “Meditation?”

I used to think of meditation and picture someone sitting with legs crossed, fingers clasped, while saying “OM.”  I would think of sitting in a room with lit candles and incense burning while trying to clear my mind or think of nothing.

Dictionary.com defines the word “meditate” as: to engage in thought or contemplation; reflect.

As the definition states, meditation can be defined very broadly.

You can meditate while at the office, washing the dishes or mowing the lawn.  When you shift your and attention to one thing, you are meditating.

Research shows that there are many benefits that come from meditating.  To gain the most from meditating, experts suggest a practice done everyday for several months.

Here are some of the most popular meditation techniques used today:

• Breathing – bringing your attention to your breath, counting the number of breaths you take and concentrating on deep breathing.
• Mantra – repeating a word or phrase that is meaningful or significant to you.
• Visualization - using your imagination to create a peaceful place that you can go to.
• Body Sensations – paying attention to the sensations that you are feeling in your body.
• Nature – spending time contemplating while surrounding yourself with nature. This could be a long walk through a nature trail or simply sitting on a park bench and enjoying a beautiful day.
• Mindfulness – becoming aware of the present moment, letting go of the past and taking a break from your anticipation of the future.
• Audio Tones/Binaural Beats – listening to recordings that have certain tones embedded in them that create brain wave patterns of desirable states.
• Guided Meditation – following the instructions of an expert while they talk you through a meditation session either in person or on a recording.

Using any of these techniques can be beneficial to you.  They will have a calming effect on your mind and increase overall feelings of well-being and happiness.

I will go into further details on the benefits of the different types of meditation in future posts.

For now you can begin to think about what it is you want to get out of a meditation program.  This will help you select the best program for your specific goals from better health to personal improvement, to living a more balanced life.

Best,

Scott Whitlock