Meditation for the Rest of Us

We've all heard of the endless benefits of mindful meditation.  But the truth is that meditating is hard!  I tried to master it for 20 years, reading books, taking workshops, listening to guided meditations. None of it ever stuck, and instead of feeling good, I usually felt incompetent and frustrated. Who would guess that I would learn to meditate while working in a men's prison.

My office was a 1/2 mile from the entrance, and my first client was usually another 3/4 mile away, so, I did a lot of walking. The scenery was a dull sea of beige, and there was not much to look at.... so out of necessity and boredom, I (without realizing it) began to practice informal mindfulness meditation.  As I would walk from one yard to the next,  I would study the sky and the clouds. I would imagine myself resting on the clouds and began taking deep breaths. It felt really good!

Around this time, I picked up a book called The Mindfulness Solution by Ronald Seigel, PsyD. The author talks about simple and easy mindfulness practices that you can do throughout your day, everyday. You simply choose to focus on one thing while taking some deep relaxing breaths. By doing these informal exercises, you give your brain a rest and begin to develop your focus skills.  

Your brain is a survival organ, designed to keep you alive.  It is not there to make sure that you are happy! Because of that, it works by looking for ways to keep you safe and avoid pain. In other words, it mostly focuses on the negative. It criticizes, compares, plans, make lists and is always looking for danger or problems. UGH! But, by taking your brain off autopilot and developing your focus skills, you will begin to make room for happiness.  

So here is the Simple Method:

Step I: Choose something in your environment to focus on.  It could be something you see, hear, touch, taste or even smell.  

Step II: Focus on it with whatever sense you are using, as you take deep breaths. There are no required postures, and you can even be exercising.  

Step III: When your mind wonders to another thought, (WHICH IT ALWAYS WILL), celebrate that you noticed, and bring your focus back to whatever you were focusing on.  

Step IV: When you are finished, take a deep breath and acknowledge that you just did something good for yourself.

I have found that focusing on something visual has been the easiest for me to maintain my focus for the longest period of time.  My favorite technique is to take a walk and focus on the negative space between tree branches and watch the shapes change. 

The options are endless, and you can incorporate these informal practices into your everyday routines. You can focus on the sensations of your morning shower,  the sound of birds chirping, the taste of your morning coffee, the feel of your feet in your shoes as you walk. It only takes seconds to a few minutes.  By beginning to incorporate these practices into your daily routines, you will quickly feel the difference!




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