There are a million styles and views on meditation. Let’s narrow it down to a simple practice. We all know the benefits of meditation. Science proves that meditation calms the nervous system, calms the mind and reduces stress. The problem is people either don’t do it or they think it’s too complicated.
The first problem is calling it meditation. This gives the mind something special to do or think about. The mind wants to be busy doing. That’s its job. To sit and say, “I am going to clear my mind,” is useless. If we work with the mind and concentrate our focus, we can funnel our thoughts to one single thought. You can use a mantra or use the word, “ohm.” Choose what works best for you.
To keep it simple, most traditions use the breath. If you tell the mind we are going to sit and breathe it has less to process and struggle with. Formulated over thousands of years, here is the breath work practice: Sit with feet flat on the floor, spine straight, without a back rest. Place hands on your lap or by your sides. Close your eyes. Take slow comfortable deep breaths in through your nose for a five second count. Slowly exhale through the mouth 10 seconds. Just focus on the breath. Then, in and out. Your mind will race with thoughts. The practice is to bring your mind back to the breath. You are practicing a discipline. In time you will get better. No matter what your mind says, just sit and breathe. Do this five minutes in the morning and five minutes at night before bed. Increase your time to 10 minutes when you’re ready.
Our culture is all go and no stop. This is your chance to just sit and be. This practice will balance your life in many ways. Just do it. For more information, contact us at South Florida Health Alliance and meet our team of specialists.
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