Meditation

We are a very goal-oriented society. We spend so much time focusing on the future, that sometimes we don’t take enough time to live in the moment. Yes, the #YOLO campaign returns again, but with a new spin on it. Yes, we only live once. Yes, we need to stay in the moment. But how can we do that when we are always thinking about the next thing we have to do? Meditation. Possibly the oldest trick in the healthy lifestyle book, this practice is often overlooked, but even just three minutes of meditation can be enough to renew, restore and refresh.

So how do you meditate? People often get mad at themselves when they feel like they are not meditating “correctly”, but there is no right or wrong. The art of meditation is not about clearing your mind, but rather, allowing your thoughts to go wherever they want in your brain- without judgement. It’s not as easy as it sounds. Part of our constant need to achieve is our self-judgment. We criticize ourselves for thinking about things, rather than allowing our thoughts to just be what they need to be in that moment.

Give it a try, it only takes three minutes. Sit with your back against the wall in a quiet area where you won’t be interrupted. Set your timer to three minutes, close your eyes, and just breathe. Allow your thoughts to float in your brain, and concentrate on your inhale and exhale. When you finish, see how you feel. If it helped you in any way, great, if you feel nothing, that’s okay too. Every experience is unique, because every person is unique. Meditation is the key to allowing each of us to exist with ourselves. We spend so much time trying to be things that sometimes we need a chance to just “be.”

For more information on meditation, I recommend reading Comfortable with Uncertainty by Pema Chodron, or downloading the guided meditation app, “Stop, Breathe and Think”.