5-Minute Mindful Meditation
“What you are looking for is already in you…You already are everything you are seeking.” — Thich Nhat Hanh
Mindfulness meditation asks one to remove all resistance, be still, clear the mind, and focus on the breath. Simply put, meditation is an act of inaction — a moment to bring attention to the very meaning it is to be alive — which is to be able to breathe.
Practices for meditation are subjective to individuals, cultures, religions, etc. but the common denominator remains: just be.
For those who feel uncomfortable or uncertain on “how-to” meditate, know one truth: there is no right or wrong way to meditate. There is no determined length of time needed, no objective for “achieving” nirvana or a rewiring your brain (although arguably, over time this will happen), and no special ritualistic apparel required. All that is needed is a moment and in my case, a simple 5-minute mindfulness practice to incoroprate into your daily routine.
You don’t have 5 minutes, you say? Then you definitely need to practice mindfulness meditation. Here are 7 ways to optimize your mindful moment.
- Find a comfortable position in a quiet place available to you. Wherever you are able to find space to sit or lie restfully, take movements necessary to begin to be still.
- Focus your eyes/gaze lightly in front of you or gently close your eyes. Take a scan of the room and find a place to focus your gaze if you choose to remain with your eyes open. Otherwise, look gently at a position in front of you and start to shut your eyes with an internal focus in between the brow without strain.
- Notice sensations in your body and any thoughts/feelings in your mind through breathing. Start with a quick body scan starting at the top of your head and moving through all areas of your body all the way down to your feet. Notice how your body feels, release any tension you may be holding in your body. If you begin to think or feel any emotions, know that you do not have to change or fix anything, just allow them to come and go.
- BE CLEAR OF JUDGEMENT. Noted above. Your thoughts and feelings are a part of your human BEING. Know that any thing that may come up during your stillness is just a thought. I like to imagine clouds or water here to envision my thoughts coming and going.
- Allow your mind/thoughts to be at ease, if your thoughts wander, gently focus on breath. As you start a practice, know you will be listening to your subvocalization, the voice in your head. It may take you time and practice in order to start to quiet that voice. When thoughts arise, let breath guide you through it. Your breath could be as simple as breathing in through your nose and out through your nose.
- Remove the story you are telling yourself, choose to JUST BE. If you hear yourself talking yourself out of meditation, thinking you have other things to do, stressing out about not being able to meditate, opening your eyes and wiggling around to try to avoid stillness, and so on and so on — know these are all a staple of a mindfulness practice. You do not have to tell yourself “I can’t meditate”. Just breathe and BE.
- Give yourself the time you need to feel complete and gently open your eyes. Disclaimer: this is not to say you should sit with one eye open repeatedly checking the time to see if you can be over with your 5-minutes. Know for this small, impactful frame of time, there is no where to be or nothing to do than just focus on your breathing. You will know when you feel complete. This could be less than 5 minutes or could be more. Either way, any moment of mindfulness is better than none.
I hope that you can find a moment (or a few) to just BE today and everyday. Mindfulness meditation can take on so many forms but remember that it only takes breathing — something available to everyone living — in order to have a mindful practice. Over time, I hope you notice the shifts occuring within you and can find the peace inside of yourself we all need to be living our optimal wellness.
Be well,
L
