Meditation. It is touted as the routine that massively successful people (think: Oprah, Rupert Murdoch) can not live without. It stills your mind. It gets you back in touch with your body and breath in the midst of a hectic day. And the anecdotal benefits for health and wellness – while still hotly debated in medical realms- can not be ignored.
Meditation also has the mystique of being inaccessible, though it is very easy to do at a basic level. You can learn more as you go, but the very very basics are very easy to do.
The type of meditation that I understand and can do- and do very often lately- is very simple. Essentially, it is Creative Visualization. 15 minute breaks to get back to breathing well and connecting to my body, to focus and recharge myself, have become the bright lights in the day.
I get inspiration from these 15 minute breaks, and they are more rejuvenating than a nap for me.
I am certainly not a meditation expert… (Charlie is, & he’s amazing!)… but I do use meditation breaks to move my day forward dynamically and as peacefully as possible!
I was taught by an enormously wise woman (and quite the Psychologist, as well) a Mindful Meditation technique that blows my mind:
She taught me to sit upright in a chair with my feet flat on the floor and my spine straight, yet not strained. Rolling my eyes up to a spot just above my eye level on a wall, I count backward slowly from 100 to 0, breathing. My eyes close somewhere in the first 10 counts. Then: I imagine I am watching a movie, piecing together colors, scenes, excitement, relaxation. Sometimes I see what I would like to happen, sometimes I see what I am feeling, sometimes I am confronted with just blank space to revel in. When I am ready to go back to life as usual, I count from 5 to 1 and ta-dah, I’m back to normal! Apparently, this is a lightweight version of a visualization technique taught by Jose Silva.
Interestingly enough, these little breaks haven’t just shown me all that I know… they illuminate for me what I don’t know, and how my concentration- something I have prided myself on- really needs to be cultivated. By doing several 15 minute breaks throughout the day to visualize and feel harmony in body and mind, I have come to understand where I have clarity… and where I need to fill in the picture more specifically.
Are there places you need to get more clarity?
A little mental feng shui with visualization can do the trick!
There are many more cool visualizations in THIS book, Creative Visualization by Shakti Gawain, as well.
Even taking a walk (leaving your phone and music off!) can be a meditative action to help you gain clarity and get back in the flow of your own energy, outside of the electronic fray.
Wishing you days of clarity & flow! xoxo Dana
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SO amazing! I just ordered The Artist’s Way, which you have recommended before…may have to put this on my reading list as well!
yay!!!!!
I had completely forgotten about visualization. I had a cassette tape and book by Shakti Gawain years ago and another life ago. I think it’s time to get back “into shape” and take your advise. Thank for reminding me.
oh i’m so glad! little breaks are the BEST! xoxo