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Keep Good Company
Do you have the courage to reach your goals? Do you have the courage to succeed? Do you have the courage to mix with the people who can change your life. Do you have the courage to walk away from those who keep you in your place? If you really want to ...
Stress Management For 2004: The Rest Of The Story
Perhaps you are like many of the people I talk to who have moved on from the stress of the holidays and are now feeling the stress of everyday life. Would you really like to reduce or even eliminate some of the stress rather than just “manage” it? Would ...
Tips for a Healthy and Balanced Physical Body
Your body is the only vehicle you have been given for this ride called “Life”. Taking good care of your body will ensure a longer, happier ride. The following tips integrate your Body, Mind, and Spirit, which are all required to maintain a healthy, happy ...
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If you haven't meditated before, you might think it's too much trouble to learn. If you do meditate, you know it can be difficult to find the time to do it consistently. So is there really a meditation you can learn right now that can be done in 45 seconds? There is.
Three Deep Breaths
Try this: breath through your mouth, and notice how your chest expands; then breath through your nose and you'll notice how your abdomen goes out more. You see, breathing through the nose causes the diaphram to pull the air to the bottom of your lungs. This delivers a good dose of oxygen into your bloodstream, and into your brain. It also tends to relax you.
This is why meditators breath through their noses. It's healthier, and it is the basis of this forty-five-second meditation. You simply close your eyes, let go of your thoughts (to the extent possible), and take three slow, deep breaths through your nose, paying attention to your breathing.
The Rest Of The Story
Now, this won't get you into a deep meditative state, especially if you've never meditated before. Is this a reason not to do it? Not at all. You'll get what you get out of it, and that almost certainly includes a clearer mind and a reduction in stress.
Make it a ritual. For
example, each time you get into your car, quietly do your three deep breaths. Having a regular "trigger" like this to remind you will keep you from procrastinating so often that you eventually forget to meditate altogether (isn't this typical when we don't make a habit out of the things we want to do?).
Want it to be a deeper experience? There's nothing wrong with just enjoying the relaxation created by three deep breaths, but you can go further, if you wish. Longer meditation will help, of course, but that isn't the only way.
If, when you have more time, you learn mindfulness, how to relax more fully, or better ways to let go of distractions in your mind, you can more effectively use that forty-five-seconds. You may even be able to get to that "alpha" state (brain wave frequecy of 8 to 12 hertz) during your short meditation.
Don't worry if some say this isn't "real" meditation. We walk before we run, and not everything has to be difficult to be of value. Why not do a forty-five-second meditation right now?
About the Author
Steve Gillman has meditated and studied meditation for over
twenty years. You can visit his website, and subscribe to
The Meditation Newsletter at:
http://www.TheMeditationSite.com/newsletter.html
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Meditation for Geeks: Part 1Wired NewsI was first introduced to the practice of meditation in a hot yoga class. It was part of the teacher's routine to do a short meditation session at the end of the class. After 45 minutes of grueling hot yoga, the last 15 minutes of relaxing were heaven ... |
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