You don’t have to meditate for an extended period of time either, it could be first thing in the morning before you get out of bed, the last thing at night before you go to sleep to help your brain and body unwind or even at your desk if you just need to moment.
Here are 3 simple meditation techniques that you can do anytime, anywhere:
- Deep breathing – sit or lie in a comfortable position and close your eyes. Notice how you feel. Then begin to take a deep breath in through your nose and out through your mouth. Continue to do this at your own pace and as you are doing it, begin to focus on the movement of that breath. Notice how it feels breathing in compared to breathing out. Are you taking a deeper breath each time you do it? When you are ready, come back to your normal breath, noticing how you feel after completing these deep breaths and then open your eyes.
- Listen – sit or lie in a comfortable position. Close your eyes if you feel comfortable and begin to focus on your breath, breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth. Then begin to listen to the sounds around you. Firstly, what sounds can you hear closest to you? Then begin to take that further, sounds outside the room but in the space you’re in, outside. Listen to what you can hear. Once you have done this for a few moments, bring it back into the room you are in. Can you hear yourself breathing? When you’re ready, take a deep breath in and out and open your eyes.
- Body Scan – this can help especially at night as it helps you notice how you are feeling both physically and mentally and acknowledge it. Sit or lie in a comfortable position and begin to mindfully breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. Starting at your toes, check-in, how are your toes feeling? What are you noticing? Continue to do this working up your body; feet, legs, bottom, stomach, lower back, chest, arms, upper back, shoulders, neck, and head. Have you noticed any parts of your body that feel tense, heavy, or uncomfortable? If so, ask it the release and relax and see what happens!
These don’t need to take a long time out of your day, you can spend as long as you like but having a go and doing them each day can help you gain clarity, more focus and motivation whilst feeling calmer and more relaxed. Why not give them a go, try it for a week and see how you feel?
Did this blog help? If you have young children, or work with children, why not read our blog around bubble breathing? This technique helps children develop mindful breathing techniques from a young age.