3 minute read
Three-Step Meditation
MEDITATION FOR PEOPLE WHO HATE MEDITATING IN ONLY 3 SIMPLE STEPS
BY LIZA KINDRED
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Meditation can keep our minds fresh, teach us to take refuge in our own inner lives during uncertain times and help us to develop a more loving relationship with ourselves and others. Yeah, yeah…. We all know we “should” be meditating but starting a meditation practice when our lives are busy, we have countless demands on our time and there are a million apps and videos to choose from can be, well, super overwhelming.
The truth is, classic meditation is pretty straightforward: we are simply choosing to focus our mind on something for a while (typically our breath) and when our mind wanders (which it will!) we just notice that it wandered and refocus our attention. That’s all there is to it. We’re not trying to achieve bliss or enlightenment. Probably the biggest misconception about meditation is that it clears our mind of thoughts. It doesn’t! But over time, it helps us to become less interested in the stories in our mind and more interested in the present moment. Practicing meditation is like exercising a muscle. It’s a little hard at first but over time, just like with any exercise, it can become familiar and routine. Here are three simple steps for meditating:
SIT. For many people, actually sitting on the meditation cushion (or the couch, of the floor–it doesn’t matter) is the hardest part. We put it off, we mean to do it later, we start researching different meditations on the internet— there are countless things we can do to keep ourselves distracted. The truth is, the mind doesn’t want to meditate (it’s used to doing its own thing!) so sometimes our body has to intervene.
To start, just take a seat — any seat! Get yourself into a comfortable, upright posture. You don’t want to be rigid, and you do want to be able to sit comfortably for a little while and to breathe easily. A good trick is to try to have your hips elevated above your knees for the most comfortable seated posture; use pillows to prop yourself up if it helps. Let your hands rest naturally on your thighs or in each other, and either softly close your eyes or allow them to be gently downcast. Whatever feels right is what’s right.
STAY. Once you’ve taken your seat, the next step is deceptively simple: just stay for a while. Chose an anchor (try focusing on the physical sensation of your breath as it enters and leaves your body) and set a timer. Focus your attention on that sensation, and as your mind wanders or sense perceptions (like distracting noises) take your focus away, just notice that it’s happened and re-focus your attention on our breath.
Here’s the thing — the practice of meditation isn’t about having less thoughts, it’s about that moment of noticing your mind has wandered and choosing to refocus it. That moment is the practice of mindfulness. Thinking “Oh shoot, I am supposed to be meditating!” and then going back to your anchor is the meditation. That’s the flex, the moment of exercising a choice.
So, if all you did was remind yourself over and over that you were supposed to be meditating, I’ve got good news! You meditated.
BE GENTLE. The most important thing at any time is to be gentle with yourself. If we beat ourselves up when our mind wanders, that takes us out of the present moment. We all do that sometimes. When you do, you can treat it just like any other thought. Let it go and refocus on your breath.
That’s really all there is to it! There are many variations out there, but most of the studies done about the benefits of meditation are about this practice, which is based on a Buddhist samatha practice and is called, in modern parlance, simply mindfulness meditation.
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