“In the midst of movement and chaos, keep stillness inside of you.” – Anonymous.
I find the practice of a regular mini meditation to be a great benefit in staying calm. You can slot it into your day around whatever else you are doing.
Professor Daniel Siegel, UCLA School of Medicine, says that “Relaxation is good but it doesn’t provide the psychological changes you see in mindfulness practice.” There is no need to sit for hours on a cushion, you can reap the rewards of meditation in just three minutes a day. It’s safe and effective and brings many benefits.
Professor Siegel advises a building a daily habit, just like brushing your teeth. The brain loves repetition more than duration. He says “Mindfulness meditation is a form of brain hygiene, it cleans out and strengthens the synaptic connections in the brain”.
As well as being good for the brain, meditation helps to reduce stress and anxiety, improve sleep, boost mood and energy, build emotional resilience, restore a sense of calm, enhance creativity and problem solving skills, reduce pain, boost the immune system and slow down the ageing process.
It’s easy to find three minutes in the day, or enjoy taking as long as you want to. You can do a mini meditation whenever you’re waiting for someone so it’s not a waste of time. I love sitting somewhere in nature and tuning in.
When you are used to daily practice, you may find that you can tap into the stillness any time, eyes open or closed.
3 Easy Steps
Prepare by setting your intention to find the stillness within. Adopt a beginner's mind and be curious about your experience. Sit or lie down somewhere safe and comfortable.
- Close your eyes and tune in to your experience for one minute or so, what do you notice? Any heaviness or lightness? Warmth or coolness? Just notice what's going on for you just now.
- Pay attention to your breath without trying to change anything. Spend about a minute observing the breath as you inhale and exhale. When your mind wanders, bring it back to the breath, without fuss.
- Notice the sounds around you and the silence in between, no need to label anything, just notice. Do this for another minute or so and slowly bring yourself back and open your eyes.
Of course, you can stay there longer if you want to. Regular daily practice of 3 minutes has a cumulative beneficial effect on wellbeing, it’s a great habit that can be part of your self-care routine.