A Forty-Five-Second Meditation
Is Meditating Too Much Time And Trouble?
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?