"Use only what works and take it from wherever you can find it." ~ Bruce Lee
thing.
The meditation timer sounds, and with a little miracle of willpower you managed to get through an agonizing ten-minute meditation session.
What you should feel is a sense of achievement. After all, you often skip it completely.
But instead you are frustrated because you have just fidgeted the whole session, lost in fantasies in which you brag about a friend to meditate today.
Your "monkey mind" is strong. It's like a whole jungle of monkeys there.
I went through the same thing in 1998 when I first came to the pillow. My mind was like an overgrown garden full of angry raccoons.
If I am sitting on a pile of pillows, have back pain, screaming at the knees and racing thoughts, I would ask myself: "Am I doing this right?" But the promise of freedom from my inner turbulence kept making me return to practice.
And although I always felt a little better afterwards (if for no other reason than doing something good for myself), it took months to achieve more tangible and sustainable results.
What I didn't recognize then was that I already knew how to meditate. I had done it as a little boy for years, but it didn't look like the exotic (for me) methods I wanted to learn from my grandmother's dusty old books.
In fact, I had completely forgotten the temporary state of calm, clarity, and concentration that lay over me like a soothing balm on those dusty summer afternoons of my childhood.
Now I meditate every day, but I have also returned to some of these earlier "practices" from my youth. Methods that you should also know because I know how difficult it is to practice consistently.
Our attraction to distraction
When it comes to focusing, you're fighting a tough battle.
Our world is a sea of distraction in which you have been swimming all your life.
Bombarded with ads, warnings, and alarms, you see films jumping from scene to scene with dizzying frequency. By sending SMS, your brain slavishly listens to the next "ping". With one click you can satisfy every urge almost as quickly as it arises.
The mind must be trained to concentrate, and I think you will agree that we live in an environment that does exactly the opposite.
So don't feel bad when it is difficult to calm your mind and maintain constant attention.
Traditional meditation is not easy for anyone (at least no one I have met). And even those who are totally excited about the many benefits often have difficulty maintaining consistent practice. Nevertheless, they remain committed to the idea and hope that one day they will find their groove.
If that sounds like you, don't despair. There is an easier and more entertaining way to experience this meditative state that doesn't require the traditional butt-on-cushion approach.
Don't get me wrong, formal meditation practice is wonderful and rewarding. It helps you maintain consistency and discipline. connects you with a tradition; and lays the foundation for more advanced spiritual practices.
But while you're working on it, wouldn't it be great to take advantage of some meditation right away?
A balanced approach
As a boy, I suffered from intense fear and emotional turmoil.
Maybe it was my parents' divorce that made me anxious and angry. Or maybe the bullying that terrorized my early years.
I was weaker than the other children and paralyzed with fear when they alternately choked and beat me in the school playground. Sometimes I lied because I didn't feel well so I didn't have to go to school.
I hated this place.
Attention wasn't a struggle because I didn't even try. I learned that it is pointless. Instead, I stared out the window and dreamed of running freely outdoors.
And when the school came out, I did just that.
On the other side of the street from my house were the railroad tracks, the unofficial borderline of a special world that we called "Pipeyard".
This piece of land was littered with old warehouses and dirt roads that gave access to the heaps of steel pipes that were stored until they could be sold to oil leases and other industries.
There were big, fat pipes that you could climb into, and thin pipes that bent when you went in the middle. Sometimes they were stacked ten feet high, while other racks were almost empty so the pipes could roll when you climbed on them.
It was the ultimate playground for an unsupervised child from the eighties.
But this dangerous place was not just for fun, it was my refuge. A place where I could spend hours alone and balance back and forth over the dusty weeds.
And then the magic happened.
All my worries and fears would go away. There was no room on these narrow pipes for the excruciating fears, the unhelpful internal dialogue and the vague discomfort that haunted me.
I would enter into a kind of meditative trance, immersed in the sensory experience of my feet that touch the surface of the pipe, the small wobble in my legs, the sound of high sneakers that wipe on rusty steel.
There was power in simplicity.
It helped that I was outside. Alone, calm and focused on the task at hand.
The physicality got me out of my head and into the present moment. When a yoga teacher tells me to be grounded, I know exactly how it feels.
Every moment is new when balancing.
Enter an elevated surface with the intention of keeping your balance and your mind will sharpen immediately – a protective mechanism that is firmly integrated into our nervous system.
You could say it's the ultimate meditation hack.
With a little time compensation, you will see how quickly you adjust. There is constant and immediate feedback asking you to relax, bend your knees, breathe … and concentrate.
Do it a little longer, and your mind will become clearer, your perceptions will increase – a magical experience in which time seems to be slowing down. The same things you experience after a great meditation session.
The world is your playground
The nice thing is that you don't need anything (or have to go anywhere) to get started.
You don't have to endanger your health and safety like I did when I was seven!
Start by standing on one leg. If that's difficult, stand near a wall or chair so you can catch yourself. Simply walking along a seam on the sidewalk or on a low curb is a good start challenge for many.
When you connect to this practice, it is easy to build obstacles at home.
In my living room, I built a balance beam from an eight-foot pine beam that was purchased from The Home Depot. It costs less than $ 20, but even a simple, 2 x 4-inch apartment that lies flat on the floor should keep you busy for a while.
As soon as you discover the equilibrium error, something clicks and you will see obstacles everywhere: park stones, low walls, railings, fences, tree trunks, rocks.
Balancing is an explosion. It gives your day an element of play, creativity and adventure. Do you remember the game "hot lava?" Whatever you do, don't touch the ground!
Here are some things to consider to get better results.
Please don't do anything ruthless. Stay away from the railroad tracks and railings.
Think about your physical condition and skills.
Always test tree trunks, stones, or railings for strength and stability before jumping on them. I have taken a few leaks but I am in good shape and I know how to fall safely.
Start with simple, small, and safe.
This is about adding just enough challenge and complexity to focus the mind. And it doesn't take much. Especially if you don't have a lot of experience in balancing.
Here are three tips to help you maintain or restore your balance:
Breathe deeply into your stomach by imagining that you inflate a balloon into your intestines each time you inhale. Breathe in to fill the balloon, and when you exhale, the balloon deflates.
Relax (especially your torso) as much as possible with each exhalation. When you do this, relax and bend your knees until you come to.
When you exhale and relax, let your consciousness fall on the object you are balancing on. One of my Qigong teachers often said: "Where the spirit goes, energy flows."
With these safety and balance features you can benefit from your new meditation practice.
Meditation is back on the menu
The benefits of regular meditation are undeniable, and now you can fall into this state of mind several times a day.
The more you do it, the better you get. Your nervous system is conditioned to get into an optimal state faster and more effectively with each session.
Balance evokes the memory and energy of the game and often becomes a game to see how long or how far you can go without falling.
The cool thing?
Your motivation to practice a more traditional practice is likely to increase.
Why?
Because you have a habit of falling into a meditative state. We like to do things we are good at and meditation is no different.
Do neck, back and knees become painful when sitting?
No problem with balancing. You can alternately stand in one place or move around. We are already sitting too much, it is better for us to spend more time in mindful movement.
Think of balancing as a form of dynamic meditation practice, similar to Tai Chi, Qigong, or Yoga. So that balancing becomes more meditative, be calm, move slowly and direct your full awareness and attention to your body and your breath.
And finally, don't forget that balance is a basic physical ability that decreases with age.
That shouldn't be a problem for you.
Finding silence on the move
Meditation will not always be that difficult.
Sure, there are good and bad days, but at some point you can overcome the struggle and enjoy it most of the time.
Fortunately, there are easier ways to get the most benefits that don't require the superhuman discipline required to meditate consistently in today's distracting world.
Have fun, make a game out of it and go on some adventures.
Stay safe out there.
About James Everett Youngblood
James Everett Youngblood helps men achieve high performance by giving them a mental and physical advantage. Visit his blog ProductiveMen.com, where he has over twenty years of experience in holistic health and personal development, including Certified High Performance Coaching ™, Medical Qigong, MovNat, massage therapy, martial arts, mindfulness, forest bathing, and holistic nutrition.
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