"Record what is useful, discard what is useless, and add what is special to you." ~ Bruce Lee
The benefits of meditation are far-reaching and have been known for centuries. However, the idea of formal meditation is not well received by some of us.
The idea of sitting cross-legged for a long time and pondering inside frightens many of us before we even start. Even the word "meditation" can be a real barrier to entry for some. What a shame, because the many benefits of meditation can be good for all of us.
These services can include:
A reduction in the stress we feel
A deeper feeling of rest and relaxation in our lives
Reduced feelings of fear
A better understanding of what we really think / feel / want
Less feelings of anger, pain, or restlessness
Show presence
Be more satisfied
A better understanding of who we really are
This little list is just starting to scratch the surface. Meditation can be so powerful.
If it feels right to meditate in a more traditional way for long periods of time, you have all the power – please continue your journey. If that's not you, don't worry, I'm here to tell you it doesn't have to be.
If you withdraw a bit when meditation is mentioned but still want to reap some of the rewards, I hope to be able to offer you several ideas that may work for you. But first a little personal thought.
I confess that I have no formal meditation practice
As someone who writes books and blogs under the umbrella of simplicity and often flips through the books and words of Thich Nhat Hanh, Bruce Lee, Sun Tzu and Lao Tzu, you may be surprised to know that I do not consider myself to be a formal meditation practice.
Perhaps somewhat deviating from the trend of our time, my morning routine (if I have one at all) has no time to sit cross-legged in a quiet room and think about the universe as a whole.
Don't get me wrong, I admire that others do, but it never really felt right for me. I've tried to make it a habit at some point in my life, but it just hasn't stayed.
To be honest, I think the word "meditation" itself intimidates many of us. We assume that this means that we need a special entry point or skill to reap the rewards.
All of this said, perhaps paradoxically, I'm also totally excited about the benefits of meditation and I want it to be part of my life. I just think you can use these benefits in other ways. Your formal practice doesn't have to be formal, and you don't even have to call it "practice."
This is where the art of meditation begins without meditation.
Meditation without meditation in action: my top 6
Here are some of my favorite ways to get some of the powerful benefits of meditation without feeling like I'm meditating.
1. Go
Running is my ultimate reset. It blows away the mental cobwebs that can accumulate. It gives new impulses and stimulates a tired mind again. Complex problems that I struggle with can suddenly feel like they collapse on a long, good walk. A new perspective can magically come into view.
I like to go early before the rush and noise of human traffic drown out the birds. Depending on where I am, I like to walk as close to nature as possible (a beautiful park, a beach, a hike over rolling hills). This is as close as I think I can get to a formal meditative practice.
2. Be one with nature and nature
Nature is a passion for me. Something that breathes life and color into every day if I just take the time to stop and notice what is going on around me. I suddenly find it grounding and uplifting.
Nature offers us a permanent wonderland. It is easy to take this for granted. We can fix that by spending some time being one with nature and reconnecting with nature, and we will feel so much better about it.
Let yourself be surprised how the cobweb shines from the morning dew.
Soak up and take in the sun.
Take your time to watch the clouds move over you and be inspired by the view.
Be infinitely impressed by nature's ability to develop, adapt and deal with challenges.
Enjoy the offerings of new life and renewal each spring by consciously taking the time to stop and notice.
3. Losing myself in music (art)
Some would say this is a scam because you use external stimuli to get an answer. I say call it what you want. I have and feel the benefits that people claim to achieve through meditation when I get lost in music.
Music is transformative. It can lift our mood on the darkest days, it can relieve fear when we feel excited about something, it can change our mindset.
We can use different music at different times to promote our well-being. For me, music is a real joy of life, one of the very last things I want to do without.
However, if music isn't quite as powerful in your own life, there may be something else. Literature can and does the same thing. Or a beautiful painting or sculpture that really moves us, or even a really great film. All of this can be transforming, life affirming and even life changing as we can apply ourselves.
4. Search for silence
The search for silence may sound as a complete contrast to the earlier proposal to listen to music; Maybe it is or not, but this time is necessary for me. This is the time to just let my thoughts drift without expecting too much from anything. Let it go where it goes. We cannot spend enough time here in a results-oriented culture.
This is exactly what meditation is about. For me, it just means that we take the time to get in touch with our own thoughts and find a point of reflection. It cuts out the outside world for a while and tunes us to frequencies. It's about reconnecting to the signal, under the noise.
This is the time to switch off the phone, pull the power plug out of the socket and make room for some rest in our time.
Separate yourself a little from the busy world around us to reconnect with yourself.
No special pillow is required unless you want one, no special seating position is required unless this triggers the condition. Just make a commitment to be mindful and find some peace in your own way.
5. Create
For me, that means writing and playing the guitar.
Writing in particular is something that I spend a lot of time with. I feel better on days and weeks when I take the time to write creatively. Ideas flow freely and come out on the page. I understand thoughts and words and try to communicate as effectively as possible, then I refine them (edit them). When I'm really writing, this creative process can definitely feel meditative.
6th exercise (calisthenics, yoga and breathing work)
I am a fan and a practicing strength athlete (I work with my own body weight as a weight). I find this form of training both physically demanding and extremely interesting. I like the raw simplicity.
Learning new moves or practicing worn-out moves to perfect them also has a meditative effect. I am totally in practice and often have to be when the move in question becomes difficult or has a balancing element. Trying to create whole body tension for some movements also means that I need to be aware of where my breath is (do I stop it somewhere or let it flow?).
Yoga is relatively new to me and I have slowly accepted it, perhaps a bit surprising, since my wife is a yoga practitioner and yoga teacher and has encouraged me to do it right for years. Knucklehead that I am, I have finally taken note of it and I have come to really enjoy this time. In my week I now take the time to work on the mat, among other things for the exercise that I do.
Since I am new to yoga poses and teach like various teachers, I have to be absolutely present for yoga. No time to think about what comes after or what just happened; To keep up with the class, I have to listen. On the most beautiful days, this has a calming effect on body and soul.
The breathwork and the constant queues, in which I had to concentrate on the breath, also made me aware of where I tend (physically and mentally) to be tense.
Refreshing meditation
The great thing about this list is that you can use these practices interchangeably and like them to coexist at the same time.
I think the label "Meditation" scares away as many as it attracts. In busy and distracted times, this is a missed opportunity for all of us to feel the benefits.
If we forget the labels, we only reset a little with the methods described above. The art of meditating without meditating if you want to.
Try it out. Summarize these resets regularly and convince yourself of the advantages. Who knows, you may even be open to further experiments in formal meditation practice afterwards. If not, just find your own way. Keep what works for you, discard what doesn't work, call it what you want, or don't call it anything.
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