meditation is easy..
You could already be meditating several times a day but not realizing it because you think meditation is sitting in an uncomfortable position with your legs crossed and your fingers in a thumb to forefinger clench. Think again.
According to Herbert Benson, MD, author of The Relaxation Response, any repetitive action can be a source of meditation. You can be painting, scrapping, knitting, or in a more active way, you can be walking, swimming, or walking the dog. For a completely mundane activity, you can even be blow-drying your hair!
We all have experienced “spacing out” while driving routes we take on a regular basis. We’re driving - paying attention on one level - but on another level our mind is taking a break. This form of “meditation” is not recommended, of course; merely think of it as a way you naturally take a needed break from your brain’s constant chatter.
The kind of meditation that is easy involves taking things you enjoy, and then making a slight shift in your intention to consciously focus on that thing.
For example, the woman in the photo is sitting on the lawn with her daughter. She loves being with her daughter. She loves being in nature. She allows herself to drift away by observing the cloud formations - that one looks like a marshmallow, that one looks like Mt. Tam, that other one looks like a dish of vanilla ice cream with chocolate sprinkles (imagination has no boundaries).
So, what things can you use for meditation? Some ideas:
• Taking a bubble bath and focusing on the bubbles.
• Lighting candles, playing music (shutting off the phone) and focusing on the music and looking at the candles.
• Reading for pleasure.
• Observing the colorful foods as you eat, and encouraging yourself to focus on each mouthful – texture, aroma, taste (sweet, salty).
• Brewing some nice tea and making yourself a little tea ceremony with a pretty mug, a sweet napkin, a little flower, and a couple of small cookies.
If you find yourself making excuses for not doing your meditations made easy, remember how good meditation is for you. With regular bits of time (ten to fifteen minutes) devoted to your peace of mind, you are climbing mountains to maintain optimum health.
According to Herbert Benson, MD, author of The Relaxation Response, any repetitive action can be a source of meditation. You can be painting, scrapping, knitting, or in a more active way, you can be walking, swimming, or walking the dog. For a completely mundane activity, you can even be blow-drying your hair!
We all have experienced “spacing out” while driving routes we take on a regular basis. We’re driving - paying attention on one level - but on another level our mind is taking a break. This form of “meditation” is not recommended, of course; merely think of it as a way you naturally take a needed break from your brain’s constant chatter.
The kind of meditation that is easy involves taking things you enjoy, and then making a slight shift in your intention to consciously focus on that thing.
For example, the woman in the photo is sitting on the lawn with her daughter. She loves being with her daughter. She loves being in nature. She allows herself to drift away by observing the cloud formations - that one looks like a marshmallow, that one looks like Mt. Tam, that other one looks like a dish of vanilla ice cream with chocolate sprinkles (imagination has no boundaries).
So, what things can you use for meditation? Some ideas:
• Taking a bubble bath and focusing on the bubbles.
• Lighting candles, playing music (shutting off the phone) and focusing on the music and looking at the candles.
• Reading for pleasure.
• Observing the colorful foods as you eat, and encouraging yourself to focus on each mouthful – texture, aroma, taste (sweet, salty).
• Brewing some nice tea and making yourself a little tea ceremony with a pretty mug, a sweet napkin, a little flower, and a couple of small cookies.
If you find yourself making excuses for not doing your meditations made easy, remember how good meditation is for you. With regular bits of time (ten to fifteen minutes) devoted to your peace of mind, you are climbing mountains to maintain optimum health.
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