Monday, 7am. Press the snooze button, anxiously sleep for 15 more minutes, wake up already tired, make a cup of coffee, dress up, rush to the office. Monday blues.
Monday, 6:45am. Stretch, breathe, meditate. Tune inside and listen. 7 am – make yourself a cup of coffee, dress up and go to the office. Excited about the new week ahead and what it can bring.
Can 15 minutes really make so much difference (I bet even reading these two scenarios you slowed down on the second one)? It does… for me, my husband and many successful people who start the morning with meditation…
Our brains are overloaded with information and social media every single moment. We are afraid to lose connection, wifi, mobile network and multitasking is a must in a resume these days. But does it all make us more efficient, happy and healthy?
When in savasana do you usually think about groceries, TV series, relationship etc. I did.
My New Year resolution was to be able to sit still and breathe deeply at least for 5 minutes a day. Almost three months down the road and I can do it for 15 minutes. It all started with 5 minutes torturous sitting on a pillow and I felt useless and worried that I am doing nothing. “There are so many important things to do right now!” – I was telling myself.
I was afraid that I was sitting for too long already, that I would have no time to do make up and have a cup of coffee.
But I was consistent and my practice grew – now these 15 minutes are the best investment in my health, productivity and happiness that I ever did. Everything is 99 percent practice and 1 percent theory.
As meditation is hard work I decided to shortlist 5 starting steps to introduce it into your morning routine:
1. Get a regime.
Go to bed at a certain time and wake up at the same time. Train the biological clock and cut down on coffee after lunch. It is very unrealistic to think that 4 hours sleep a night will keep you fresh during the day (unless you are a superhuman). To clock that important 8 hours of sleep requires discipline. Yes, it is so simple and so hard.
2. Find your mantra.
The mantra can be a word or few lines that has a meaning for you. When you start meditating you keep pronouncing these words again and again while gazing at the third eye area with your eyes closed. Keep your face and eyes relaxed.
3. Count inhalation and exhalation.
If you don’t have the mantra yet or you find distracting, count the duration of your inhalation and exhalation. Stay relaxed, let the air flow without any tension. If one breath is only 2-3 seconds it is fine. You will improve with time.
4. Organize the place.
It should be an area without distractions. You can keep a cushion or pillow there, may be some inspirational quotes or pictures who you consider to be your teachers, leaders. It can be family members, scientists, your guru or anyone else. Ideally, you want this place to be used only for the meditation. Avoid meditating in your bed as most likely you will fall asleep. Sitting in a lotus pose is ideal. The most important thing is that you feel comfortable otherwise it is impossible to focus.
5. Be consistent.
Don’t have any expectation about what the ideal meditation is. Let go of prejudices and just keep doing it every day. It takes about two weeks for a new habit to become a routine. Try to think about this ritual positively and don’t delay meditation to the last minute – it should be the first thing that you start your day without any rush.
Meditation is the time to ask yourself questions and listen to the answers.
What are your body and mind telling you?
Are your muscles tired or energized?
How long is your inhalation and exhalation?
Is your mind calm or fidgeting all the time?
Are your facial muscles tensed or relaxed?
Find these 15 important minutes a day to answer your questions. I promise, Monday will never be the same.
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