I confess….I have FOMOOL…Fear of Missing Out On Life…so meditation and I don’t match. If I close my eyes and ‘stop’ I may just miss something in life! How do people sit, eyes closed tuning into their breath? It’s a skill.
Meditation is a process to help us achieve mindfulness.
What about those who:
- Can’t sit cross legged, eyes closed?
- Or try and focus on tuning into our breath but start to doubling the breaths!?
Mindfulness, the art of being present, has overwhelming evidence that it contributes to contentment and happiness. It’s in all of us however, we either forget or don’t bother using it.
So last year I geared myself up for meditation by downloading a few apps on my phone. I felt uncomfortable sitting up in the traditional pose hmmm what next? I’ll lie down but then I got a bit sleepy! I’d sit in the chair at parenting groups doing mini meditation but I couldn’t even hear my breath!
So this year (being the high achiever), I decided to note down all the small mindfulness things I could do.
The ones that settled the chatter in my brain and relaxed my body.
Here’s the cheat sheet that may serve you also:
As a professed high achiever I am faced with the reality that I suck at meditation.
Stretch my arms above my head in the shower
If outside, take my shoes off to feel the ground or grass
Doodle whilst talking on the phone (ditch those mindfulness books!)
Read an article or 2 pages of a book aloud
Sit in the sun or put my face into the sun
Set my mobile phone timer and put on relaxation sounds on YouTube
Sit by a park pond and gaze at the water
Massage my hands with lovely smelling hand cream