3 Ways to Meditate More

Ask anyone how they’re doing these days and the answer is often the same: busy!

As a society, we reward overachievers. Advertising often shames us into thinking we need to be or buy more. Even funding for the arts and exercise — two places where we can release our pent up energy and enter a meditative state — is being cut in schools. Rarely do we have time to pause, be still and reflect.

When we feel busy and stressed, we often distract ourselves with things like TV, internet, eating, shopping or drinking alcohol. Those temporary fixes don’t solve our problems or cross anything off our to-do lists. What we need, instead, is to turn our attention inward and draw back to our inner strength and sense of peace. This is what many call, “finding your center,” and is one of the highest purposes of meditation.

To operate from our center gives us mental clarity; the tasks at hand will be much less daunting and we’ll be more present to handle them. This may not take tasks off of our agenda, but it may make them feel easier or give us the skills to move through them more quickly. Here are three tips to bring more meditation into your day so you can find your own center.

Do It FIrst Thing

Before your mind gets running, before you have coffee, before you lose contact with your subconscious Dream Self, roll out of bed and go straight to your mediation cushion.  This sets the tone for your entire day to be more calm and centered. Sure you might have to set the alarm 10 minutes earlier to make it happen, but it’s worth it!

Create a Sacred Space

Dedicate a space specifically for the purpose of connecting with yourself. If you have a little corner of your room, or a special spot out on the patio that you love, you’ll be more likely to go there. Keep your sacred space clean, free of distractions and full of beautiful and inspiring things. Meditation can happen almost spontaneously if you feel good and love where you are.

Mindfulness in Times of Transition

When you’re on the go, the natural tendency is to rush. But, when we rush is usually when we have little accidents — like spilling a drink — that require more time to remedy than if we’d just gone at our regular pace. Try purposefully using transitions to bring more mindfulness to your day.

When you get to work, park your car, then sit in it with your eyes closed and take five slow, deep breaths before getting on with your day. Or, after yoga class, see how long you can go without talking, so you can linger in your own center.