Why do we meditate? We meditate to connect with our breath. To move from the chaotic brain
and thinking into our bodies. To calm our breathing, heart rate and lower our stress. Does the brain keep thinking? Does it remind you that you need coffee or are hungry? Does it start the to - do list while you are sitting down. Yeppers it does and in fact it can be quite loud in its demands.
The practice of meditation; sitting quietly, breathing and calming the thoughts is exactly that - a practice. We start out slowly with maybe 3-5 minutes and as time goes, we increase the amount of time we sit. We may try different types of meditation such as mantras, music, guided, walking etc until we find something we feel connected with. We also continue to practice and practice and practice til we find that calm breath and mind.
This activity is really not just about the 5-60 minutes per day that we may sit. It is about finding ourselves in the moment; connecting to our body, our breath, our heart beat and sensations. It is about bringing the 'practice' into our everyday life and taking those calming breaths we have been practicing when things get more stressful at work, or we want to lash out at someone or we feel road rage kicking up.
So find a comfy spot either in a chair with feet flat on the floor or on the floor with legs out in front of you or cross legged, straighten your back, relax your shoulders, arms, your face, and close your eyes. Now breathe slowly through your nose to a count of 5, hold for 5 and exhale through your mouth for a count of 5. Feel the release.
During this chaotic time when life has been turned upside down, the news is blasting fearful and divisive stories non-stop, and we are feeling at our wit's end, taking a few minutes (or hour) to connect with our body and calm the thinking is exactly what we all need.