In recent posts, I have talked about my love for mediation and how beneficial this practice is in helping me remain calm and centered. Being a single-parent household with two teenagers, a nine-year-old, three dogs, and don't forget Covid cat brings a certain level of madness to my life. No matter how easy someone may make it look, there is no such thing as a perfect, easy life. That’s ok with me. When you work with and not against the universe, even the busiest life can be full of peace, joy and love.
You don’t need hours to reap the benefits of meditation. There are a couple of practices I use when I am short on time for mediation. Just calming your mind for seconds or minutes can keep you centered throughout your day. These are also good practices if you are new to meditation to get you started.
While I am busy doing other tasks, I remind myself to take slow, deep breaths. I do five counts in, five counts out. So, for example, while folding laundry, doing dishes, or driving in the car, you can breathe in good vibes from the universe and exhale all the negative. I am not sitting still, and my eyes are open. However, I am still getting the mind-calming benefits of meditation practices while getting my to-do list accomplished.
Almost everyone can find 5 minutes in their day to take to themselves. This meditation is the one I do the most. I love longer meditations, but I don’t usually have time for them. I can tell myself, especially if my mind is racing from whatever is happening in my day, to stop, find a quiet place to sit, and set 5 minutes on my phone timer. These 5 minutes are all for me, and I don’t take any interruptions. I like to close my eyes and start with the same five counts in, five counts out I talked about earlier. I focus on the feeling of being happy and at peace. My mind will sometimes wonder. If this happens to regain my focus, I visualize breathing in heart emojis from the universe and breathing out blackish-grey toxic vibes. I get so relaxed in these 5 minutes that the alarm startles me and makes me jump at the end.
You could also use these practices while you’re visiting family over the holidays and need some quick vital time from the chaos. I can imagine Clark Griswold from National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation doing this as he is looking at each of his family members, especially cousin Eddie. His look might convey that he can’t believe what he is seeing and hearing when he is actually taking mediative breathes to center his mind to deal with the situation. Happy meditating!