classic How to meditate in 3 minutes a day By Kristen D Eramo, Wellness Coach 10/30/2017 I wanted to learn to meditate. After reading the umpteenth article on how meditation relieves stress, improves concentration, slows aging and makes you happier, I decided to try it. Everything I read made it sound so easy, too. But it wasn t. Instead of feeling calm, I was antsy and distracted. I became acutely aware of every little twitch and spasm in my body. The breathing was hard enough but I was overwhelmed by the swirling river of random thoughts that coursed through my mind endlessly. But after my bumpy start, I began to make progress and you will too. So let s start small. You can lie down or stand up, eyes open or closed. Just take it super slow, and plan for your first few sessions to be super short. Every meditation session starts this way The starting point for meditation is to focus on your breath. You want to notice it coming into your body through your nostrils and then be aware of it flowing out, again through your nostrils. Try it right now, for three breaths. So did your mind start to wander during that third breath? If yes you are normal! Instead of being discouraged, be glad. These wandering moments lead you to where you want to be: aware . Being aware of your thoughts, as random as they may seem, is the absolute right starting point for a new meditator. Now let s consider how to handle these thoughts as they pop into your head. This is what will move you forward in your meditation. When a thought enters your mind Did I feed the dog? I like avocados. My knee hurts a little bit. meditation teachers say, Return to your breath, and it s the right advice. Okay, try the three breaths again, and now try to keep the inhales and the exhales about the same length. When you start thinking about something else, bring your mind back to those inhales and exhales. Go. It s hard to stay there, laser-pointing your mind on your inhales and exhales, isn t it? It s normal for this to feel unnatural. This is the exact point when many people give up on meditation, and this, unfortunately, is normal too. The best but most annoying secret to successful meditation You have arrived at the first big secret to meditating: don t give up. Meditation is not a destination it is a flowing process, kind of like everything else in life. You can t meditate for 3 minutes until you can meditate for 3 breaths, then 4 and so on. So keep going. When I was starting out, my thoughts quickly overtook my best intentions to focus on my breathing. I thought, what s the use in this? I m just getting aggravated! I ve got a ton of things to do anyway so I ll just wrap this up… This is the reason people say that they practice meditation. Meditative states are moving targets that shift from moment to moment. So you keep taking those steady inhales and exhales even as your thoughts run around your head like squirrels in a tree. If your breathing speeds up, or you start to subconsciously hold your breath, just start again. Every moment is a fresh start. Just notice, I am breathing fast again. My next breath which is happening right now is slower. Good, now here comes my next exhale. Counting your breaths If you re struggling as a beginning meditator, I recommend counting your breaths to help unite your mind with your breathing. Be patient and let this happen naturally, or it won t happen at all. Sometimes I get all the way to 20, feeling as if there hasn t been much change in my mental state. But when I stop breathing and counting and return to my natural breath, I feel different. I am calmer and my breathing is more regulated. Each inhale and exhale lasts about 4 seconds, with a little 1-second pause between them. Each full cycle is about 10 seconds long. When you breathe like this for a count of 20, you have meditated for 3 minutes. When you do this 3-minute routine every day, your focus sharpens. Your memory is crisper and you move through your day with more intention to your actions. Congratulations, dear reader, you are now a meditator. Learn more about deep breathing and relaxation from our YouTube video . customer service
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