“You should sit in meditation for 20 minutes a day unless you’re too busy. Then you should sit for an hour.” – Old Zen adage

Meditation has so many incredible advantages that if it was sold in a pill, it would be the best-selling drug of all time. But many of us resist it because the idea of sitting in a crossed-legged position with our eyes closed for hours and hours is not very appealing.

There is also something else that stands in our way, something that we feel like we never have enough off. Do you know what we are referring to? Time….it seems that there is not enough time in a day to do everything, and adding on top of that meditative practice feels impossible.

So, what can “successful” meditation look like, and does it require so much effort?

Let’s break through different misconceptions and look at this transformational and healing practice from a slightly different perspective.

The main purpose of meditation is to become more aware of your inner chatter, live more consciously in the present moment and quieten your mind. And there are so many ways to reach this space.

Observing a beautiful sunset (Trataka meditation), mindful walk around nature (Focused meditation), listening to and singing your favourite song (Mantra meditation), gratitude journaling (Loving-kindness meditation), inviting a mindful approach to your everyday routines (Mindfulness meditation), daydreaming while thinking about your holidays (Visualisation meditation), dance (Movement meditation).

Yes, all these activities can be meditative practices.

How can busy professionals meditate and infuse this practice seamlessly into their day?

1. The Board Meeting Meditation

What about facilitating a 10 min collective meditation before a corporate meeting?

A Japanese study conducted by the Kyoto Convention Bureau found that at least 10 minutes of meditation before a meeting can significantly improve event efficiency, boosting retention of taught information by an average of 12.5 per cent overall and by up to 117 per cent for a single learning task.

So, apart from all the benefits meditation offers outside your job, you can also be more productive, focused and efficient at work.

2. The Mindful Lunch Meditation

Do you always work or mindlessly scroll through social media while eating lunch? This cannot be considered as an actual break. Instead, find a quiet spot, preferably around nature, put away your phone and enjoy your meal, focusing on all the senses: taste, smell, touch and how your food feels in your belly. This is called a mindful eating meditation.

3. The Laugh Meditation

There is something amazing that happens in your body when you laugh without holding back and out loud. Your body lowers the levels of the stress hormone (cortisol), raises the levels of beta-endorphins (the feel-good hormones), increases the human growth hormone, decreases the overall rise in glucose levels after eating and many other benefits. And it is also meditative practice.

If you want to try something more guided, check the Osho Laughter Meditation or simply watch a funny video and notice the changes in your body.

4. The Driving Meditation

Your drive to work, especially when you are stuck in traffic, doesn’t have to be considered lost time. Instead, it might be the perfect opportunity to try longer, more focused meditation. And you don’t need to close your eyes or lose focus on the road. Put on gentle music, maybe an inspirational podcast, become aware of your breath, do a mindful body scan, and look around you more mindfully instead of being stuck in your head, worrying or stressing over something. Again, this is also meditative practice and requires no additional effort and time. You will arrive at work feeling more grounded, peaceful and ready to conquer all day’s challenges.

5. The Gazing Meditation

This gazing technique requires nothing but your eyes and a focal point. When you soften your gaze and look at something for some time, you will reduce your stress, shift your brain waves, release tension from your body and start feeling a content level of focus. And this practice is available at any place and at any time. Sounds simple and amazing, right?

As you see, you can meditate in many ways without sitting like a yogi for hours. Our ideas can also be easily incorporated into your busy lifestyle.

If you are looking for more guidance or want to introduce meditation practice to your workplace, please contact us at . At Myall Wellbeing, we offer mindfulness-based corporate wellbeing programs that can be easily run in an office setting or a board room.

References:

https://www.successfulmeetings.com/News/Research-Whitepapers/Meditation-Makes-for-Better-Meetings-Study-Shows

https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/stress-relief/art-20044456