I established in a recent post that napping is meditating. And now I’m going to tell you that playing phone games is meditating. And at the end of this article I am going to tell you to go and meditate.
So, if you are short on time, skip the article and just go meditate.
Meditating is easy.
Meditation is a fancy word for something that every person does periodically. It is simply clearing your mind of anxious thought, then all thought, and being fully present in the moment. It is not something you have to plan for or put into your schedule. You simply find the time during your normal activities.
You literally need nothing.
Sure. The yoga mats, meditation pillows, yoga pants and incense are nice additions. But often the idea of meditation being some special or spiritual practice scares people away from really diving into it. It sounds like something you have to commit to, or be dedicated to. You don’t.
The spiritual aspect of meditation has been by every religion since religion was created. That’s not a coincidence. That’s because meditating is living fully and listening to yourself. And that’s what makes a person feel balanced and happy.
Meditating quiets your mind so that you can hear yourself.
And it is wonderful. Some of my best ideas happen during meditation. And some of my best ideas happen during matching colored blocks on my phone. For me, it’s the same feeling.
It’s about the way your brain works. If you want to get all science-y there is a lot of research out there to read through. But if you don’t have to understand the science behind it to feel the mental and physical benefits for yourself.
Meditation 101
Always, meditation starts with quieting your mind. Which isn’t easy. Just remember, it’s not the technique that matters, it’s getting to the mental state.
The easiest way to set the stage for meditation is to consciously pay attention to your breath. Intentionally take deep, natural breaths. Then extend your thought to your body and the sensations that you are feeling. There are a multitude of variations that people have discovered through breath work. Try some techniques and see what works.
Quiet mind + Calm body = Meditative state
Once you feel a little jelly-like and your mind is quiet, you’re basically meditating! Go with it.
5 ways to help quiet the mind
- Play a game: One that doesn’t take much active thought. Games like Candy Crush, Solitaire and Block Blast! (my current go to) are good examples.
- Work on a puzzle: Crosswords, Sudoku, Jigsaw, Word Search
- Learn a foreign language: Yes, really. I started learning German this past year and it has become one of my favorite ways to meditate.
- Journal: Bring your mind to the observation of your breath is a key to getting the mind to shush. Then once the thoughts return, write them down to work through them later.
- Walking meditation. This is a combination of focusing on your breath while also focusing on the sensations in your body in nature.
Go Meditate.
So next time you “waste” two hours matching colored blocks when you could have been doing something “productive”…remind yourself that you are taking care of your mind.
You are meditating.
Take care of you.