Inspiration for living a luxuriously and balanced life

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

7 Tips for Working-out Your Mind



Loss of self and the life I knew is what started me on my journey of meditating, post accident. In my early attempts sitting still and quietening the countless thoughts that filled my head seemed next to impossible. I would start and stop my meditation practice many times over the course of those early years. Today I meditate 1-2 times a day and am enjoying the benefits meditation provides for the body.

I know what some of you are thinking ... that's all great but who has time to sit in a day doing nothing? Well, yes you may not be physically moving about or be connected to technical gadgets - but my friends, you are doing something you are giving your mind a chance to rejuvenate.

It's funny we take better care of our computers and technical devices than we do our most important computer - our mind. After all it is with our mind that the rest of our body functions, so why not give a little TLC? Here are some tips that I found worked for me and I hope they will inspire you to take a few minutes in your day to Work Out Your Mind.

Meditation - Getting Started

1. Commit ~ to 5-10 minutes each day to meditate. By making it part of your everyday schedule will help you stick with it. In the beginning I found it helpful to sit in the same spot at the same time each day. I actually started during my afternoon tea time as I sat in my comfy chair (spine straight and head to the sky, feet flat on the floor).

2. The Right Time ~ when you are not rushed. Sunrise and sunset when nature transitions between day and night are my choice now, but any time of day that works for you is good. If I'm not using a guided meditation I set my Smart phone on vibrate and set 10-25 (depending on how long I am meditating at that time) this way I'm not worried about the time and I'm gently notified when I have meditated for my desired time.

3. Environment  ~ Where you meditate does not matter - what you need is a quiet, peaceful area where you will not be interrupted. 

4. Posture  ~ it is a common myth that you must sit in a lotus position (cross legged on floor). What is important is that your spine is upright, your head up (imagine the top of your head touching the sky) and you are in a comfortable position. When I first started making meditation part of my day I would also sometimes lay on the floor on my back (after my cup of tea or in the morning) and sometimes sitting in my bed with pillows behind my back to help keep my back straight. Sitting in a chair with feet flat on the floor and back straight works for many people too.

5. Open or Closed ~ Whether you keep your eyes open or closed is up to you. I find that lowering my eyes and softening my gaze works well for me when closing my eyes produces a lot of thoughts. What is important is that you do what is comfortable for you - like me you may alternate between open and closed eyes.

6. All that chatter ~ Yes, thoughts will pop into your head - DON'T panic, this will happen. Acknowledge the thought then release it and return your focus back to your breath. 

7. Make meditation part of your Lifestyle ~ like anything that is good for you it needs to become part of your  regular life. If you are finding that you are always putting it off - try scheduling it in your calendar ... once you start seeing and feeling the benefits it will become second nature. And most important until you get to doing it regularly don't be hard on yourself for not meditating - start again fresh tomorrow.

I hope these tips have inspired you to incorporate meditation into your day.

I would love for you to share in the comments your tips for meditating.

Love and Blessings,

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3 comments:

  1. I am going to try this. Thank you.
    Suzanne
    www.chapter-two.net

    ReplyDelete
  2. Dearest Celia,
    That would be just lovely to incorporate this into daily life!
    Hugs and happy week to you. Hope spring is not that far off for you.
    Mariette

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hi Celia,
    Meditation is so rejuvenating.
    I have an app on my iPhone called "Relax & Rest". There is a 5 minute breath session on there which, I know, lowers my blood pressure. It's 5 minutes which feels like a one hour nap. I use it all the time.
    Di
    X

    ReplyDelete

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