Most of my students are afraid of meditation. Many of them have tried it in the past but quit because they were too restless and couldn’t stop thinking.
Many come to class frustrated, ready to fail…again. Well, I’m here to tell you that it is difficult to meditate for 20 to 45 minutes a day, but it is easy to meditate for 3 minutes a day.
The idea is to set yourself up for success by making meditation easy and fun. Over a short period of time your interest in meditation will grow and three minutes will become a pleasurable 30 minutes or “gasp” sixty minutes.
Here’s how you do it:
- Pick a specific time of day in which to meditate and be consistent. I think early morning or late afternoon are best, but do what works for you.
- Pick a specific place for meditation. This is important because as you begin to associate a space with meditation it will be easier for you to relax and “get into it.”
- Set the mood. New age music, chanting, incense, candles, a favorite wrap, and pillow are all great to help you create a meditation mood. Again, by making positive associations with your practice, your practice will become more enjoyable.
- Set your phone alarm for 3 minutes.
- Sit in an upright position either in a chair or on the floor.
- Place your hands palms up on your lap. Close your eyes, relax your face, and feel the gentle rise and fall of your chest as you breathe.
- Thoughts, images, and emotions will float through your mental space and your attention will wander. This is okay. When you notice that your attention has wandered, just relax your face and come back to the breath.
Enjoy!
Photo Credit: Kalen Emsley