We all read about the scientifically backed benefits of meditation, and we believe we are in the midst of a global spiritual awakening. While meditation has been de rigeur for the last decade or so (and many of us are practicing it) the question is how each of us can embed it into our daily lives in the most agile and non-intrusive manner. The key word is habit.
You may think that you need to contort your legs into a pretzel for 30+ minutes to get to that sweet spot of serenity. However, all you need is 1 minute! This means that whatever your schedule or day has in store for you, there will be a minute somewhere you can sit and be mindful. Whether that is in a taxi from the airport, in the office between meetings, on a plane taxi-ing towards the take-off or in the bathroom before an important meeting, a 1-minute meditation has the ability to put your day back on track and helps you reach peak performance.
This daily practice has helped us both over the years, travelling the world, and it works wonders. We instilled 3 “moments of truth”: Firstly, during each flight during the last moments before landing. Secondly during each taxi ride, and third before each important meeting or speech (which may even be in the bathroom!)
The practice of meditation quiets your mind and re-centers you holistically so that you can respond to any situation in a cool, calm, and collected manner. Those of us practicing meditation in any shape or form already know the profound benefits:
It sharpens one’s mind.
It boosts compassion and understanding.
It frees one’s mind from distractions.
It enables to deal with stress and external factors calmer.
It rewires your brain over time.
There's nothing difficult or complicated about a simple mindfulness meditation exercise. All you need is yourself and a minute of your time. It is that easy! Far too many people have over-complicated meditation in the past and mystified it, yet at its core it's a simple process. Here are the steps towards your own “Serenity City”:
Make sure you will be undisturbed for the next minute. That emoji-laden text can wait.
Sit comfortably, with your feet firmly on the floor (or the foot mat of the taxi), your posture straight, and your eyes closed.
Place your hands in a way so they are balanced, symmetrical, and still. You can go full-yogi and put them in a mudra or simply have them laying flat on your thighs.
During the next minute, all you need to do is focus on your breathing. Focus on your in-breath and your out-breath ... just like the ebb and flow of ocean waves.
If you start thinking about delicious food or a project you need to work on later, that's perfectly normal and alright. What you can do as soon as you notice distracting thoughts is to bring your attention back to your breath.
DING...that's it!
That wasn't so difficult, was it? This is a practice you can do almost anytime and anywhere when you need to re-adjust and re-center.
Until next week's episode, take a minute out of every day to quiet your mind. Try out the most random places - places you would never have thought as mindfulness heavens … Enjoy the ride!