When you meditate, it’s all about breathing. Breathing makes the difference between life and death. This may seem like a silly statement but, at its core, it’s the truth. It’s such an important part of our lives that we all carry out every second of every day without even thinking. It’s such as crucial part of lives and even more essential for the condition of our health.
I’m not talking about getting sick or ill, although that is a part of it. I’m talking about our mental health. In numerous blogs and articles throughout this website, I’ve told of countless benefits of meditation and how it can change your life. Now, with this in mind, I understand that meditation may not be for everybody. After all, what’s good for one person may not be the best approach for another.
Whether you meditate everyday or you’ve not tried once, meditation always comes back to one main aspect. Breathing. It’s all about become conscious of your breathing, regulating and monitoring it in a way that suits you. I understand that the traditional form of meditation may not be for you, so how can you still enjoy the benefits? I’ll explain.
Sitting Still & Present
One of the main aspects of meditation is sitting still. If you’re moving about, playing on your smartphone or tapping away at a computer, it’s very hard not to be distracted. This is exactly what you counteract when you meditate Instead of sitting cross-legged on your yoga mat or cushion, try sitting still elsewhere. This could be in the lounge, in your chair, out in the garden or even on a park bench.
By sitting still, with your hands in your lap, you’ll naturally become aware of your breathing. You’ll also find your mind instantly becomes a lot more present than it was before. This may sound idealistic, especially in today’s busy world, but it works. I can tell you because I tried it just this morning. I live in a fairly rural area so I went into town, when to the closest park I could find and just sat doing nothing. Instantly, I became a lot more present and aware of each moment.
Follow Your Breathing
When you meditiate, a lot of practices will encourage you to follow your breathing. This is a tried and tested way to stay focus and to draw your attention to the present moment. If meditating isn’t for you, there are several ways you can still do this. Whether you’re at work or home, simply follow your breathing, even if it’s for half a minute.
You could even set up reminders, such as Post It Notes, the sound of an overflying plane or the sound of a car horn. These little reminders can jolt you into becoming aware of the each passing moment, even if it’s only for a couple of seconds. This is a great way to remain focused and present throughout the day.
Switching Off
One of the best apps I discovered recently was called Quality Time. This is a free app that monitors your smart device usage throughout the day. It even breaks down your app usage app by app, allowing you to see exactly how many minutes you’ve spent on each app. This is such an eye opener when it comes to digital device usage.
When I started, I ignored the app for around a week, using my phone as I normally would. I was shocked when I discovered that one day I had used my device more than five hours. Of course, I used my smart phone a lot, for emails, GPS, music and things like that. However, that left about two hours for unproductive stuff such as scrolling social media and browsing online when i could have found the time to meditate.
This is all time I could have spent in the present moment, instead of a virtual reality. I’m not saying you should stop using your smartphone altogether, in fact, used in the right way; they’re fantastic tools. However, switching off, even for say an hour a day, can help you to become a lot more present and focused in everything that you do.
Final Thoughts
Not everyone will want to meditate. Some of reading this may even find that the whole practice is nonsense or spiritual. However, you can still take the concepts of this practice to apply to your own life. This will enable you to achieve more while reducing those all-important stress levels!