Calm your Mind with a Simple Technique

Meditation is often thought of as a prescribed activity in which we must sit in a particular place, at a particular time, for a long time and be able to calm and clear our minds (without practice). It could be much simpler than that, however, and every 2 minutes you will find a better feeling of calm during the day to do such simple things.

We can put ourselves into our bodies and from our minds in many different ways. Here's a few simple stuff you can try.

Each time you are waiting, for the bottle to get drained, in a line, for the children to get out of class, for a meet up, try Clock your eyes if you can or lower them. Focus on your breath; imagine a little person at the tip of your nose and you'll see the breaths come and go. Feel the air, let it flow naturally, let it move gradually, feel the rib cage moving smoothly with every breath and fall. Try to count three breaths and if you have time, repeat the cycle. If thoughts come along, just watch them, try not to be attached to them.

Sit comfortable, feet flat on the floor, symmetrical body, back upright, eyes closed or lowered. It's always easy to do in 2 minutes or so and is good if you sit somewhere on your own (it's also my favored one). Take care of your breath–without laboring or trying to force it. Just look through your narrow nose for the natural flow of oxygen. Feel your seat under your arms, feel the floor under your feet, feel your clothes on your body, take care that your skin has breezes or air flow.

And now listen to the sounds that surround you. Listen to your sounds inside the house–the sound of your heartbeat, the clock tick, and listen to your sounds outside the room. Then move your hearing beyond the immediate area–listen to it as much as possible–until your earth's sound is heard by the ocean's waves. Sit, let any thought come and go, come and go, let it be, don't obey, don't be angry about their coming, just let it happen. They might seem like birds flying or clouds floating over. You could imagine.

You don't have to be something, do anything, change something, go anywhere, just be there for a few moments. Stick with this for a few minutes, and then put your hearing back to the rhythms of your body— heart beating, breathing in and out. Then be mindful of the space behind you and feel ready to do anything you need / want to do next.

As a Naturopath in Adelaide, I feel that every client would benefit from a few moments of calm like this in their daily lives. When you practice these methods, be patient and be kind to yourself— it takes time to relax our minds; we have 2.2 thoughts for every breath, so slowing down takes a lot of practice. Consider never running and one day you wanted to –do you expect a marathon to take place on the first day? Does it not? Then be gentle in your meditation expectations.