This week I want to share some thoughts on mindfulness and meditation. There is no shortage of talk of mindfulness these days. I am sure some have heard about it, talked about it, and even tried it. Some may have taken right to it.
Others may have sat for less than 5 minutes and said “Nope, not for me.” But most people I talk to think it might helpful, but say it’s not something that they can commit to now. I’ll hear comments like,
- “I will start being mindful and meditation when my life slows down.” Or,
- “When my mind quiets, then I can meditate.”
(I sometimes feel like saying, “You know what, when you mind quiets you won’t need to meditate.”)
So how do you get started?
There is an old Zen saying when inquiring how long one should one meditate. “20 minutes per day, unless you are busy, then one hour”
For people who are already busy and feeling overwhelmed, that quote could be a deterrent to getting started.
But here is the thing, it’s your life. Right now, this moment. That’s all there is, period.
So I challenge you to give it a try this week — today even — for just sixty seconds.
For one minute today day, sit, walk, or lay down and just be with your breath for sixty seconds.
If the mind wanders, gently bring it back to the breath and ask those other thoughts to wait their turn. (Believe me, those thoughts are not going anywhere.)
One minute is a start. A big start. And there are many excellent resources to help you build on that minute (and I will explore those in future blogs). One of my favorites is a phone app called Mindspace. It’s a great introduction to meditation and it is free to get started.
But you don’t need an app for sixty seconds of conscious breathing. Take a moment to do so today.
Hope to see you on the trails.