Our lives are often quite busy, even chaotic, and sometimes it seems impossible to find that peaceful state with everything going on. Learning how to take time for your mental health and fit meditation into your daily routine can be of great benefit. In this blog post you will learn how to fit meditation into your daily routine. “Meditation should not be seen as a temporary break, but rather a transformative process that enriches your life and the lives around you.”~Verywellmind
Meditation does not need to end when the timer goes off or when the bell rings 3 times. You can learn how to incorporate a mindful approach to meditation off the cushion as well. Learning how to bring meditation into every aspect of your life can bring great relaxation and ease the mind.
The Steps to Meditate Every Day
Verywell Mind experts have made a list of 6 meditation techniques you can try during your day.
- Chore Meditation: Any repetitive chore can be turned into a meditation simply by adding a focusing element. You can count your breaths while cleaning counters, folding laundry, or washing windows, for example. Any chore that is automatic in nature and does not require decision-making while you are doing it works well. Take a moment for mindfulness.
- Walking Meditation: While taking a walk, link your breathing with your steps. A traditional walking meditation practice (made popular by Vietnamese monk Thich Nhat Hanh) is to take a step with each breath. This slow walking meditation practice can be very powerful. If you don’t have the time or place for slow walking, then just take a breath with every two or three steps while walking down the hall, across a parking lot, or in a store.
- Exercise Meditation: Turn exercise into meditation by focusing your mental energy on your body. Picture the push and pull of your muscles. Feel how your body gracefully adjusts to your movements. Be amazed at your balance. Even better, try out an exercise program that is rooted in breath and mindfulness like tai chi or yoga.
- Two Breaths: Taking two simple, mindful breaths can engage your meditative state at any point in the day. Take two breaths before making a phone call, answering an e-mail, or starting your car. This is a great way to bring meditation into your day dozens of times, particularly in the midst of a busy or stressful day when you need it the most.
- Sound Cue: Choose a particular sound, and take two breaths every time you hear it. Traditionally, monks would do this when they heard the wind chimes and bells of the temple. Choose a sound that occurs frequently in your setting. You could take a five-second pause in your thinking whenever you hear someone else’s cell phone, for example.
- Transitions: Transitions are times when you move from one setting to another. Coming home from work, for example, is a transition from your professional self to your private self. Going into some meetings, you may transition into a different personal style in order to get something done. Lunchtime may be a transition for you as well. Traditionally, monks would pause every time they crossed a threshold and transitioned from one room to another. Pick a few transitions in your daily life (like getting into your car, walking into your workplace, and opening your front door), and take a five-second meditative pause before entering the new setting. Perhaps you will even make opening a certain computer program or checking your e-mail a transition.
It’s important to maintain your daily meditation practice, try not to create substitutes for that practice. When we sit down with ourselves in breath, in inner observation, we can lower our blood pressure, relax our mind and build a strong and healthy mental response to stress.
Reference: https://www.verywellmind.com/how-to-fit-meditation-into-your-day-every-day-2224118