It is really beneficial to have a regular practice, twice a day if possible- 15- 20 minutes of meditation is ideal. Many clients have expressed that realistically, this isn’t possible.  Really though, all you need is a few minutes a day, and you can experience DRAMATIC changes in your overall state. I have noticed that the days I start with this, my day is very different. It is truly amazing what 5 minutes of mindful awareness and breathing does to your energy, outlook, and state of mind for the day. And guess what? You don’t have to be a highly evolved, ascetic yogi dressed in a loincloth who lives alone in a mud hut in the Himalayas to be able to do this. Anyone can do this!

All you need is a quiet room for a few minutes, and your smart phone.

There are a lot of free apps out there that you can use for meditation – some of them are guided, some have timers with cool sounding bells, etc. I have one called “Insight Timer” that I downloaded (the free version) which I like because it has a cool sounding Tibetan bowl when the timer goes off. You can just use your timer on your smart phone, and there are a lot of sound effects that work nicely – I found one that is called “chimes” that is pleasant.

Sit either on the floor, cross – legged or on a chair with your feet firmly planted on the floor. Lengthen your spine by anchoring your hips and lifting tall the center of the crown of your head. Roll your shoulders in circles two or three times around, and then drop them down your back away from your ears. You’ll then take three big, belly opening breaths that you’ll hold a few seconds to help clear any tension to prepare you.

Breathe in as much air as you can, hold as long as you can, then exhale with a sigh until you’re completely empty. Repeat that two more times.

You’re now ready to begin. Set your timer for 5 minutes. Close your eyes, and focus your internal gaze in between your eyes with your eyes closed. Sometimes you can see an indigo- colored ball of light. Keep your focus there. You will now begin to slowly, deeply, breathe in through your nose for about 7 seconds. When you’re full, hold the breath for 4 seconds. Then exhale through your nose slowly for about 7 seconds. Then hold the breath out for 4 seconds.  Watch yourself breathe. Focus on the counting. Focus on the sensations of breathing. When you have thoughts (and you will!), keep going. Just notice them. Notice your mind trying to take you into a story. Just keep going back to the breath. Over time, the thoughts will slow down, you will have more clarity in your mind.

When a thought comes, watch it pass like a cloud in the sky floating by.

Repeat this process until your timer goes off. At this time, it’s a good time to have silent words of positive thoughts, intentions, prayers, and visualizations. Intentions, prayer and visualization are more powerful when done in conjunction with meditation.

Notice how you feel. Remember that you can come back here any time! This is your private sanctuary of peace. Be well friends!