THE SIMPLEST MEDITATION

DO YOU WANT TO KNOW THE SIMPLEST MEDITATION PRACTICE I’VE EVER COME ACROSS THAT NAVY SEALS USE — AND YOU CAN DO IT IN 3 MINUTES?

I have spent the last 9 years trying out different meditations, from Eric Ho’s guided law of attraction meditation, progressive body relaxation, Vishen Lakhiani’s 6 Phase Meditation, so on and so forth.

Sitting down to meditate has been a difficult journey for me..

“My butt hurts.”

“I have other things to do.”

“I’ve tried it before, it doesn’t work.”

“It seems like a waste of time.”

Whatever the reasons that would have me stop — for some reason, I have been intrigued by it even when I didn’t enjoy it.

Then I came across one of the simplest meditation I’ve ever ever stumbled upon.

BOX BREATHING.

Here are the steps:

1)Sit on a chair with your feet planted to the floor, hands on your lap palms palms facing up, with your back erect (promotes more oxygen flow)

2)Inhale through the nose for 4 seconds (filling up your stomach with air)

3)Hold for 4 seconds

4)Exhale for 4 seconds (make a sighing sound when you exhale, as science has shown that sighing promotes a deeper sense of relaxation. And suck your stomach back in when you exhale)

5)Hold for 4 seconds

6)Repeat 7 times and lightly smile throughout

I do this a few times throughout the day. It’s a quick and effective way to release tension.

With clients that I have worked with, most of them have mentioned the difficulty of being in the moment in conversations (more prone to quickly trying to come up with what to say, which loses connection because it takes the energy from really hearing the person); or quickly moving from one thing to the next without much breathing space (whether these activities they deem it productive or not — it becomes a mouse wheel).

That’s why I start every day and every coaching session with a centering exercise for a few mins, to slow down, to get back into the body (which helps to transmute compulsive thoughts) — making space for something slightly different, which can be just enough for an EMPOWERED CHOICE to happen thereafter.

I view meditation as pre-work/homework for when life tests you.

It’s the work that is done beforehand for when you have a difficult conversation with your spouse; a driver cuts you off on the freeway; or you spill your coffee on the floor in the morning before heading to work.

Have you ever reacted in a situation and then looked back and thought, “Damn, I could have acted differently.”

It’s almost like reacting becomes this ROBOTIC thing we do whenever we get triggered.

QUESTION: What would it look like if you were able to TAKE BACK YOUR HUMAN?

CHALLENGE: Take 3 minutes out of your day for the next 7 days to try this box breathing exercise.