I know it can be tricky to integrate a daily seated meditation practice into your already full schedule. I’m here to share with you how to cultivate the awesome mental and emotional benefits of meditation without taking an extra minute out of your schedule.
I’ll offer three easy tips to use the small moments that already fill your day to enhance your mental clarity, stillness, and ease. Let’s call these meditative moments… those moments throughout the day when you’re doing something that doesn’t require your active focus. Like when you are standing on the bus, waiting in line at the bank, washing the dishes, or driving your car.
You know those times that often get filled by grabbing for our phones, scrolling through social media, or letting our minds run wild with worries or nagging thoughts. In these moments, you can do more than just pass the time; instead, take advantage of the opportunity to consciously plug into greater inner wellness.
- Do nothing.
You know that awkward feeling of sitting in a waiting room or standing at a bus stop when your mind leaps to find something to do? Years of both societal training and habit has our mind constantly looking outside of us for sensation and distraction. This is exactly the unconscious habit that we can retrain through meditation to cultivate a more still mind; and you can do the same training outside of a traditional seated meditation practice.
The next time you are in a situation that doesn’t require your active mental participation, try a few minutes of doing nothing. Consciously choose to not look at your phone or turn on the music or read something. Yes, I mean just sit there… eyes open or closed.
Feel what it’s like to be and observe all the things your mind says to you about doing that. Notice what you’re feeling. This is a fantastic way to practice being the observer—and eventually the director—of your mind, instead of jumping to obey its every whim and desire!
- Focus on your breath.
One thing you can focus on—while you are sitting or standing there doing nothing—is your breath. Feel the breath entering in through your nose on the inhale and your chest rising up. Observe yourself exhaling, your body gently relaxing. Notice. Observe. Take in the different sensations as your breath moves through your body.
You don’t need to do or change anything with your breath. Just notice. See if you can become curious about the thousands of small miraculous activities going on in your body as you breath. This is one of the simplest and most effective ways to become more present to what is happening within us, which can be deeply restful and calming for our mind.
- Get curious about the world around you.
We miss so many of the wondrous details of life when we are lost in our own thoughts and feelings. The sound of the leaves gently rustling in the wind. The warmth of the sun on your face. The sound of a toddler giggling. The splash of colors on a nearby billboard.
Give yourself this time to simply take in everything that is happening around you. The sights, smells, sensations, sounds of the world. As Sai Maa says, “look for the sake of looking.” This means don’t add your thoughts or opinions or try to understand when you look. Just enjoy the simple act of experiencing.
I invite you to give these meditative moments a try throughout your day and notice what you experience!
For more guided instruction on how to learn to use your mind as your ally and tap into the power you hold within, we highly recommend you check out the Power in Your Minds Mini Course and consider registering for the full program. Shift your subconscious mind, to shift your paradigm to align with and manifest your goals. Learn more about the program here: https://awakenedlife.love/the-power-in-your-minds/
