If you are a stressed and busy person who feels the need to learn meditation, but the idea of finding half an hour or more to meditate itself is stressful, have no fear! I have a few short meditation techniques that are only three to ten minutes in length.
These techniques are quick, easy, and super beneficial for busy people like you and me!
- Breathe – This really is at the heart of meditation. By focusing on your breath, you are able to let your thoughts flow in and out and ultimately pull your focus inward. This technique can last as little as 60 seconds or as long as 10 minutes, and the best part is that you can literally do it anywhere.
I recommend that you bring your thumb and middle together like this:
The pressure point will automatically bring your mind into focus. Now, start to bring your focus to your breathe. Inhale in for a count of 6, hold for 4, and exhale for 6. Do 5 rounds of this, and then take note of how you are feeling. More relaxed? A bit Zen? Focused?
The best part is that you can do this anytime, anywhere.
- GPS4Soul – This is for all of my technology junkies. Okay, we are all a bit addicted to our smart phones, and generally I recommend taking a break from all of our connectivity. But, I have found this app to be invaluable as a form of quick meditation.
GPS for the Soul is a killer app for better living. The app is based on two truths: that we all have within us a centered place of harmony and balance, and that we all veer away from that place again and again.
This super cool app has a feature that allows you to check your heart rate using your iPhone camera lens.
The camera flash turns on to guide you to put your index finger on the lens. You can instantly see your heart rate being tracked and visually see a graph moving up and down as the numbers change.
After your heart rate is tracked, the app assesses how stressed you are and offers guides to help center yourself and become calmer. If you are balanced, it will offer other guides to stay in that mindset.
The guides are everything from mediation to yoga poses to photo therapy.
Each guide also gives you breathing cues, a rising and falling visual. This is extremely helpful.
You can also make your own guides with pictures or songs.
- Another killer app you may want to try is Headspace.com. This one doesn’t track heartrate, however, it is great for the beginner as well and was the first one I used to help train my brain.
- Do Mealtime Mini-Meditations – Mealtime is a great time to meditate, because it’s already a given in your day. This is the perfect time to take a few minutes to pause and appreciate your meal. Slow down and notice how the aromas of food can relax you, whether it’s a warm mug of tea, the cinnamon on your oatmeal, or veggie-filled soup simmering on the stove. When you smell something delicious and scrumptious, it is practically effortless to focus on your breath and take in the delectable aromas. Breathe them in. Slow down and enjoy your meal!
As you can see, meditation can come in many forms and you only need a few minutes to do this each day. Give one of these practices a try today.
Your personal Nurse Coach,
Chris Pyne