I ask my oldest son all the time (when he is quiet, & he is quiet a lot of the time) “What are you thinking honey?” and he always says, “nothing”.
Which prompts me to say “Like nothing? You aren’t having any thoughts?”
With the normal response being “No, not really.”
So, this blog isn’t for people like my son, Shaderek who is apparently meditating all the time. This blog is for that person who:
a. always has something on their mind,
b. who’s mind rapidly changes focus,
c. for someone who gets started on one thing which triggers another thing and another
d. and sometimes can feel overwhelmed by all of the things they have to do and just can’t seem to get everything (and sometimes anything done).
NOW FAR WARNING: I am not a guru! I am not a yogi, and I don’t have all the answers to meditation. I am also the kind of person when told to “focus on my breathing”, I feel like I can’t breathe or just can’t catch my breath. So here is one technique that has helped me a great deal.
This mediation is perfect for the person who has tried traditional meditation (focused breathing, quiet, eyes shut, sitting or lying down) and HATES it.
Step 1.
Head to a window with a nice view (no I am not going to tell you to jump out of it) and focus on something outside that attracts your attention. (You can do this outside as well but I find from indoors the environment is more controlled and less likely to pull your focus away.)
Step 2.
For a count of four (4) breathe in through your nose. Now the key to this is, the four (4) count is at your own pace. It could be 1234, or 1 2 3 4, or 1&2&3&4 whatever you feel most comfortable with.
Step 3.
For a count of four (4) exhale through your mouth. And again the key is to let this happen with a cadence that feels comfortable.
Step 4.
Speak 1 phrase about something in your day that is positive.
- Examples:
- “Lovely snow is falling outside and making the trees look beautiful.”
- “I get to drive my car with the music blaring on my way to work.”
- “I am excited about the meal I will be cooking tonight when I get home.”
Most of these examples could have a negative response to them such as:
- Examples:
- “God it’s snowing again”,
- “uhhhh I have to go to work today”,
- “I have no idea what I am going to make for dinner”.
With this exercise, we are trying to find something about the day and its tasks we can be positive about. Now the key is not “faking until you make it”, the key is trying to focus on an aspect of the task that you can feel gratitude in or happy about. We aren’t trying to lie to ourselves by saying:
- Examples:
- I love snow. It’s the best.
- I love going to work.
- I love cooking it is my favorite thing.
if they (the statements above) are untrue.
Step 5:
Repeat steps two through 4 (2-4) for a minimum of 10 times, or up to 15 minutes.
Meditation works differently for everyone, but the benefits are great. It helps you focus, it lifts your vibration, it helps you problem solve, and it puts you in a better state to handle stress. I’d love for you to try this technique out for a week or so and then get back to me with your results.
Manifest in the Midwest
