Wear your tightest jeans not the stretchy kind the ones that pinch at the waist so your midriff folds over and it's hard to breathe. Recall a recent conversation where you felt misunderstood and analyze what you should have said. Visualize what you'll do next chance you get. Find something on your body or clothing to help you fidget like cleaning your fingernails picking the pile off your sweater or winding hair around your finger. Don't set an intention or an alarm look at the clock every time you think of it. Focus outside yourself inhale short and shallow. Tell yourself you can't meditate.
Meditate on Gratitude
Susan Morales, M.S.W.
Reprinted from Huffington Post Healthy Living Nov. 22, 2011
A few years ago, our British guests were touched and in awe at our Thanksgiving dinner tradition of telling each other why we are grateful. My 3-year-old grandson’s “I’m happy for the movie, ‘Cars'” gave everyone a laugh. Some comments are funny, some sentimental and others thought-provoking. They certainly enrich the experience of dining together.
For me, getting in touch with gratitude is more than a cognitive exercise. It changes my mental and emotional state. Try thinking about something you deeply appreciate. Breathe into the sensation that results, helping it expand. Doesn’t it feel great? I notice that my body relaxes, too.
Meditate on What Is Working in Your Life
When I do this meditation I begin by remembering the people in my life who have supported and loved me. Then I move on to my health, acknowledging all the parts that are functioning, even if I’m sick or injured. I continue by recognizing all the different facets of my life that are working.
In your meditation posture, use the above exercise for a simple and effective way to relax your mind and body and lift your spirits. I find that I can also shift how I’m feeling at any time of the day by repeating this process. Especially if my spirits are low, I redirect my attention to recognizing the small details that I appreciate: the hot water in the shower, the book I’m reading, the lovely colors in my yard brought out by that day’s lighting. The smaller the detail, the more I slow down. Sometimes the details are so small they seem ridiculous. This makes me laugh. Then my spirits soar even more.
Thank Yourself: A Guided Meditation
From my perspective as a Midwestern native, having worked with clients all over the U.S., one of the deficits I have found in our culture is lack of gratitude for ourselves. Our bodies and minds are with us constantly. They are the instruments at hand to serve our needs and the needs of others. Why not spend time being grateful for ourselves? In this guided meditation we thank the many parts of us that contribute to who we are.
Start in your meditation posture with your eyes open. Take a couple of deep breaths and watch your chest rise and fall with each inhalation and exhalation. Take a moment to appreciate the automatic functioning of your lungs. Thank your lungs.
Next, close your eyes and become aware of your thoughts — without judgment. Your mind might be evaluating this experience, or associating it with something pleasant or perhaps unpleasant. Whatever they are, thank your thoughts for the great job they do in keeping you aware and aligned with what is important to you.
Now scan your body and take time to thank the parts that you’re particularly grateful for — perhaps your feet for taking you where you want to go, perhaps for your hands for their strength. Whichever part you feel drawn to, thank it briefly and move on to another. Continue until you feel the gratitude surging.
Finally, connect with all the effort you give in creating your life. With the energy you put forth for taking care of yourself, taking care of others, contributing to our world. Feel the immensity of this energy in your heart. Breathe deeply into your heart center and allow your chest muscles to relax in the awareness of your good effort.
If your mind wanders to negative characteristics within yourself, gently return to the feeling of gratitude in your heart — for all that you have, all that you give, all that you are. Meditate on this wonderful feeling of gratitude.
When you finish with the meditation, you may want to jot down what was helpful. Perhaps write out a gratitude statement you’d like to share with others either at Thanksgiving or on another occasion. As we get in touch with our gratitude and share it with others, our appreciation grows.
Sitting cross-legged on the floor can benefit your meditation
The first fundamental I propose in setting up a meditation practice is to get comfortable. (See Fundamentals post in March, 2011.) So, is sitting on the floor out of the question? I hope not. To begin with I’ll try to convince you of the benefits so maybe you’ll give it a try. Then I’ll offer some ideas on how to make it comfortable.
I find sitting cross-legged either on a wide seated chair or on the floor helps me get focused. It takes me out of my usual routine and shouts to me: “You’re going to meditate now!” Why not give meditation a grand entrance?
My legs become engaged in an active, and completely different way, than usual. This moves my attention from my thoughts and into my body. It keeps me meditating instead of daydreaming.
I also associate sitting on the floor with my childhood. I feel younger, more flexible physically and mentally.
So, I hope I’ve talked you into trying it, at least. Here are the pointers to make this as comfortable as possible:
Find a high-enough cushion or stack of blankets so that your knees are level or lower than your hips. If they are level, put additional blankets or supports of some kind under your thighs.
For back support, sit against a wall with a small pillow at your back.
For neck support, use one of those travel pillows on your shoulders.
If your ankles hurt, wrap them with socks.
And, lastly, if you are still uncomfortable, take some deep breaths and change your posture. See www.healthandyoga.com/html/meditation/poses.html for additional ideas.
Three Fundamentals of Setting Up a Meditation Practice
You’ve read you can increase your brainpower or you want to enhance your sports performance. Perhaps your doctor told you it’s time to learn stress reduction. In yoga class you’ve become aware of the possibility of enlightenment, understanding your true nature or your purpose in life. Whatever your motivation, bravo! Meditation is an extremely effective change agent because you are looking within yourself.
There are three simple steps to set up a practice: create the appropriate environment, maintain a relaxed and alert posture and have an intention.
Create the environment
We don’t make our minds meditate any more than we can make ourselves sleep. But to achieve the latter usually all it takes is lying down on a comfortable surface and closing our eyes. Sleep happens. Similarly we can condition our minds to slip into meditation by creating a soothing environment with few distractions. For example, you might choose an easy chair in the living room or a large pillow on the floor of the den or bedroom. Low lights, a lighted candle can also enhance the ambiance. Wearing the same clothes, sitting at the same time of the day can help you enter into meditation more easily.
Sit in a Comfortable Posture
You can throw away the picture in your mind of the yogi sitting crossed-legged in a full lotus asana (posture) with hands in shin mudra (thumbs and index fingers touching). Although there are advantages to those positions for meditation, they are not necessary. The two main essentials are being seated upright and being relaxed. Upright so you stay alert and relaxed so that your breath is moving easily. It’s hard to stay relaxed if you’re uncomfortable so use props like pillows and blankets. You can shift your posture during meditation as long as you stay relaxed and upright. Rest your hands on your thighs or fold them in your lap. Again, whatever feels good to you.
Set an Intention
Why are you meditating? You may have an overall intention like stress reduction, but it helps to get specific. For example, to stop worrying about an exam, to relax your shoulders, to focus on the tightness in your chest to discover what’s bugging you. These are not expectations. Instead you are programming your mind to guide you where you want to go. It’s a set up for disappointment if you approach meditation thinking you want to see a full lotus blooming in your head like your friend experienced. Meditation, like dreaming, is highly individual.
With all of these points, be flexible. Make them work for you. If the pillow in the den is too soft, try sitting in a chair. If your legs fall asleep, move or stretch. If you worry that your meditation isn’t “working,” change your intention to: “I will accept whatever happens.” There are no mistakes with meditation. It is you being with yourself.