I’m not talking about doing yoga on your bed with a towel around your neck, chanting “ommmm” under your breath. Meditation has been made out to be something so complex, that it loses it’s original purpose of simplifying your life and unweaving the web of to-do’s and memories that our brain creates every day. Meditation is just another way of saying, “cool down your engine”.
Each day, we have a lot of pressure placed on us by our external environment. These pressures include everything from keeping up with our finances, going to work, maintaining our household and running personal errands. Not to mention the pressure we place on ourselves internally. We have goals we want to pursue and a life we paint in our heads of how we want to live.
Both the external and internal pressures are great for us. They force us to become better people and make a positive difference in the world. But, we can easily be bogged down by all of this as well.
Try this "5 Rule" exercise to relax your body, ease muscle tension, and quiet your mind. Shut the lights off and cover or dim any electronic that emanates light. If there’s a full moon out and light is coming into your room, close your shades. If you don’t have any shades for your bedroom get some today. Lay comfortably in your bed with your eyes closed.
Take a deep breath in for 5 seconds. Focus on the breath filling up your stomach as opposed to your lungs. Then visualize the air creeping up to your chest as you continue breathing. When you hit 5 seconds, hold your breath for 5 seconds, then and exhale for 5 seconds (5-5-5). Do this for as long as it takes you to feel your body quieting down and relaxing.
Next, focus on 5 different body parts that you want to completely relax- your feet, your thighs, your stomach, your arms and your neck. When you feel your body easing up, start the cycle another 4 times, completing this sequence 5 times.
My guess is you won’t make it to the 5th cycle but if you do you will be just about ready to head to dream land.
Comments