Do you have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, because your mind is running nonstop like a hamster on its wheel? Well, today I want to talk to you about why a meditation or mindfulness practice is so important.
Did you know that, according to a 2005 study by the National Science Foundation, the average person thinks up to 60,000 thoughts a day? And the average person makes 35,000 decisions each day with around 35-60 being conscious decisions? That’s the difference between, “I’ll have guac on the side,” and “Let’s enter into a contract negotiation on that project.”
People in management or leadership positions make almost ten times that number of conscious decisions a day. The average person in my position (school administrator) makes 300 conscious decisions a day! That’s insane! So, what happens to many of us is that our brains bounce ideas like a pinball, BING! BING! BING!, to problem-solve until we hit TILT.
That, my friends, is called DECISION FATIGUE. Your brain shuts down all effective decision making. Have you ever finished a workday and found it impossible to make the simplest of decisions? And, in fact, you want to go all Mortal Kombat on the person who asks, “What’s for dinner?” Yeah . . . you need to give your little noggin’ a rest and some daily TLC.
Here is where meditation comes in.
Now, if you start off thinking that to meditate effectively you have to clear your mind (tabla rasa – create a blank slate) you will quit before you even start. In fact, I would be willing to bet that you have wanted to start some type of meditation or mindfulness practice but haven’t because of the daunting task of taking a broom to your mind. It’s like having the daily chore of cleaning a hoarder’s house . . . the task is never done. Meditation is not about NOT thinking. Meditation is not clearing the mind. When you meditate you are the observer in the moment. You will have thoughts, but your goal is just to be aware of the thought. Don’t try to solve any problems. Just let the thoughts be. It takes practice. There are many techniques for meditation, but we are going to break it down into edible, bite-sized pieces.
I read a great article from Yoga International that gave a logical differentiation between mindfulness and meditation. Mindfulness is awareness of our outer life, whereas meditation is awareness of our inner life. I agree wholeheartedly. I am going to give you three simple activities to help you start your meditation practice. We are going to work from the outside in.
- Active Observation/Listening. You can do this one in five minutes or less, but it would be a HUGE benefit if you made it a habit. Active observation is the practice of mindfully observing things around you. I suggest heading outside for this one. Go out into nature, if at all possible. Focus 100% on the scenery around you. Be hyper-focused on what you see. Observe the color of things, the texture, the shape, the movement. I often take a walk around my yard and gratefully smell my gardenia and jasmine blooms. You can peel back a little bit more by applying concentrated active listening. For this part of the exercise, it’s best if you are seated and close your eyes. Now you must rely on your ears to pick up sounds around you. Putting this mindfulness practice into place is a great warm up for meditation.
- Mindfulness During Routines. This is a fabulous exercise for bringing attention and awareness to things we consider to be mundane like washing the dishes, cleaning the house, or preparing food. These are the types of activities that set us on autopilot. I want you to start giving them your full attention. It doesn’t take extra time to do, it just demands your focus. Just don’t do it mindlessly. Find joy in the mundane by giving the process your attention and being grateful for the moment you are in.
- Breathe. Yep, just breathe. Okay, so I’m going to give you just a little bit more than that. So, IF you’ve been practicing steps one and two and making them habits, this next step is the first baby step into a meditation practice. First, find a comfortable place to sit. Sit up nice and tall, no slouching, please. Next, place your hands in your lap – your palms can be facing down or up, whatever is comfortable. Now, close your eyes. The practice begins with just bringing your awareness to your breath – feeling the inhalation traveling inside your body and the exhalation leaving the body. Breathe with your mouth closed and your tongue relaxed on the “floor” of the mouth. Finally, add a count to your breath, keeping the inhalation the same length as the exhalation. I start with a count of five and build up from there. Keep your breaths full, long, and relaxed. No rush. Start with a five minute practice and add a minute every few days until you build up to 10-15 minutes.
With each of these activities, consistency is KEY. If you only practice them every once in a while, you won’t see results. Don’t give up. Mindfulness, meditation, and yoga is a journey. Enjoy it and allow the breath to flow.
~Namaste
Resources:
https://yogainternational.com/article/view/are-mindfulness-and-meditation-the-same
http://my.aasa.org/AASA/Resources/SAMag/2018/Jun18/McDaniel_Gruenert.aspx
Check out the Busy Yogini YouTube channel and Instagram page for quick tips and yoga sessions that accommodate a busy lifestyle.
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