We've all heard about the power of meditation.
It's been shown to ease depression, improve mental functioning, and
reduce stress and anxiety. It also reduces what I call Quantum Toxins --
thought patterns, or attachments to negative feelings that actually
influence our physical chemistry.
Meditation
quiets the “monkey mind,” the constant, un-directed thinking that often
brings anxiety, worry and distraction into our everyday lives. Even
taking five minutes to practice meditation can bring us back into the
present moment, encourage better decision-making, and allow us to truly
experience our lives to the fullest.
Let’s take a few minutes right now to detox our minds. Read through the instructions below, and then use the guided audio to take you through the meditation.
Five-Minute Meditation Detox
Step 1: Get Comfortable & Breathe
Sit
up in a chair with your back straight. Place your feet flat on the
floor under your knees. Rest the palms of your hands on your thighs and
relax your arms. Look straight ahead but try not to focus anywhere in
particular. Instead, notice everything in the room at once. Take a deep
breath and start feeling your feet. Feel them touching the floor or the
inside of your shoes. Feel the temperature, the humidity; feel the
texture of your socks. Feel your feet intensely from inside. Do not
“think” about them, just feel them, sense them.
Step 2: Scan Your Body with Attention
After
a few breaths, move your attention to your calves. Feel and sense these
for several breaths. Then move your attention from body part to body
part, first to your thighs, then your bottom against the chair, then to
your abdomen and lower back, your chest and upper back, your shoulders,
your arms, your hands, your neck, face, and lastly your head. Then let
your awareness cover your whole body at the same time. The idea is to
“scan” your body with your attention, stopping for a few breaths on each
part. This practice will strengthen your ability to direct and hold
your attention.
Step 3: Thank Your Monkey Mind for Sharing
You
may notice that the moment you sit down, you start remembering things
and feel the urge to act on them. This is part of the process. When
those thoughts come and try to steal your attention away from your body,
simply say silently to yourself, “Thank you for sharing,” and direct
your attention back to your body. If you feel discomfort or frustration
and want to stop, just keep sitting still. Know that the discomfort you
feel is not caused by the exercise itself. It’s what happens when you
become aware of your baseline state, that underlying anxiety you are
typically not aware of when the outside world is at full volume and your
attention is far from your body. Becoming aware of this underlying
state is the first step toward dissolving it, and claiming back the
energy it consumes.
Step 4: Where did that thought come from?
When
you find yourself consumed by your monkey mind, try for a second to
separate your attention from your thoughts and re-focus it on the
present. Ask yourself:
"Who is deciding that I think these thoughts? If I had a choice, would I be thinking them?”
If
your answer is no, say to your thoughts: “Thank you for sharing!” then
immediately direct your attention to something in the present. For
example, you can focus your attention on your feet. Again, this doesn’t
mean think about your feet, but feel them. This small boost of awareness
breaks through habitual thought patterns that lead away from the
present moment and into distracted thoughts. Anchor your attention into
the present moment as often as you can.
Step 5: Use Anytime, Anywhere
This
technique can also be used in the middle of any stressful situation
like a business meeting or a job interview. When we are nervous, it is
because our unconscious thoughts are interpreting, judging, measuring,
and expecting. This unconcious process consumes vital energy and builds
anxiety.
By re-directing our attention to our body and breath,
we reclaim that wasted energy. It may be hard to remember to do this in
difficult situations. Start with easy ones. Then try to do it in harder
and harder ones. My personal experience is that if I am even present
for a split second, and remember to redirect my attention into my body,
immediately the energy of the situation shifts. When you become more
present, others in the room feel it as well.
Practicing
being present will help clear out Quantum Toxins from your mind. You
will begin to be able to use your energy and attention to stay present
and be more productive. This practice will also help you be more aware
of the decisions you are making about what you eat. Practicing this
simple 5-minute meditation is a great way to help clean the mind, body,
and strengthen your ability to stay present and anxiety-free throughout
the rest of your day.
