Learn to Meditate in 10 Minutes
One of the best things that you can learn right now in 10 minutes is how to meditate.
In fact, you can get started right now.
If you are sitting at a desk, make sure that your chair is set at the proper height, so that your thighs are parallel to the ground with your feet flat on the ground.
Sit up straight and bring your shoulders back. Pretend that you are trying reach into your back pockets with your shoulders.
Make sure that you head is pointing straight up. Imagine that there is a string attached to the top of your head and that is it pulling your head up.
You may place your hands on your lap however you feel comfortable. It should look something like this (I found this image on Quora):
Now, take a deep breath, and exhale, releasing all the tension in your body, especially in your stomach and your shoulders.
Pay attention to how you are breathing, and focus only on your breathing. You may count how long each of your breaths take if you wish, but every time you notice your thoughts drifting to all the work you’re supposed to be doing, or the dog barking across the street, bring your thoughts back to your breath.
Ironically, trying to keep a clear mind is a very active process. Meditation is not easy.
Try to avoid breathing from your chest, and breath from your diaphragm instead. A good way to know if you are breathing from your diaphragm is if you can breath without your shoulders rising, and only your stomach is expanding and contracting.
Continue doing this for the remainder of your 10 minutes. You have just learned an important life skill.
Try to do this every day, even for just 5–10 minutes, and you will notice your focus and ability to concentrate increasing, your stress and anxiety levels decreasing, and you will be able to think more clearly.
The benefits of meditation are almost undisputed. Unfortunately, this is not a skill that many people practice or take seriously, but if you spend just 10 minutes a day practicing meditation, you will find that the benefits are more than worth it.
For more on meditation, check out Calm for guided meditation sessions and good background sound for meditation.
If you would like to read more about how to build habits, please follow my blog on Quora at Hungry Minds. You can also follow me on Twitter if you would like to continue the conversation there!
Written on June 14th, 2016 by Paul Le