How do I do it? What do I do? What do I say? These may be questions you have when it comes to starting a meditation routine. The thing is meditation is quite simple.
According to a famous author and world-renowned pioneer in integrative medicine and personal transformation, Deepak Chopra defines meditation as, “The pursuit of higher consciousness, the process of waking up, the journey to enlightenment.”
Personally I use meditation as a tool to center myself. No matter what may transpire through your life, meditation can be used as your daily reset button. There is no right or wrong way to do it in my opinion, meditation is personal. Your focus throughout your meditation will cater to what you need in your life at that moment.
I want to share with you a simple practice that you can personalize based on your needs. Partly inspired by Shelah Marie’s Meditation Mixtape, this 3-step meditation will be a great start to your day.
Step 1: Choose a word or phrase that you want to focus on
Step 2: Visualize the word/phrase
Step 3: 4-part breathing exercise
With eyes closed, start your meditation off with Step 1. Focus on a word/phrase of your choice. This could be something that you want to manifest or something that you feel is needed in your life. Once you’ve chosen your word/phrase visualize it coming to fruition.
Next you’ll start a 4-part breathing exercise. As you inhale, visualize the air traveling from your stomach, chest, neck and then your head. Hold your breath for 3 seconds then slowly release. As you exhale the air flows in reverse from your head to your stomach. Do this 3 times or until you feel you have developed your rhythm. Once you have a rhythm, incorporate your word/phrase. Continue this exercise for 5 minutes.
What’s great about this exercise is that it can be modified to fit your needs and practiced anytime throughout the day. If you’re feeling stressed, try just the 4-part breathing exercise a few times to re-group. I hope this exercise gives you a sense of peace and serenity for today and the future.
Learn more about meditation in our Healthy Living section.
Chopra, MD, D., 2018. The True Meaning Of Meditation – The Chopra Foundation. [online] Choprafoundation.org. Available at: <https://www.choprafoundation.org/other/the-true-meaning-of-meditation/> [Accessed 7 May 2020].
