Even if it feels like you don’t have a second to spare, the truth is that there’s always time to meditate. It just requires you to start letting go of ideas of what meditation “must” or “should” be like and learn ways to make it work for you.
Yes, meditation can be sitting in powerful stillness for an hour or two if you have the time, but it can also be 5 minutes, 10 minutes, or a few quick inhales and exhales. The idea is that you are taking time to connect with yourself and to your inner wisdom lying in wait. If you’re schedule is jam-packed, the Chopra Center offers us seven easy meditations for on the go.
Be in the moment: Plan ahead and set reminders for yourself throughout the day to stop and be in the moment, fully. You can do this anywhere and anytime. Stop for a moment, notice your surroundings and thoughts, and pay attention to how it all feels.
Make it a work thing: Think about bringing meditation into the workplace and inviting others to join you. Meditating with a group has its own unique benefits. Sharing in the collective energy of one another’s intentions and desires helps deepen your connection with your own.
Enjoy the breath of life: To help yourself get into the habit of taking more life-giving breaths, set a time in the morning, noon, and evening where you can pause and take a few deep breaths. It can be one, two, or 10 breaths, whatever you have time for. This can be done while walking, on the train, on a plane, right before a meeting, etc. Or, right now.
Mediate while you wait: Waiting is inevitable no matter where you go—whether you’re waiting at a doctor’s office, for a friend who’s running late, at the deli, in line at the grocery store, and the list goes on. Rather than grabbing your phone to distract yourself, this is the perfect time to get into the meditation zone.
Take advantage of technology: Needless to say, we live in a technologically-driven world. The benefit of this is that you have access to so much and that includes phone applications dedicated to the practice of meditation or habits that cultivate mindfulness, which is also a type of meditation.
Take time right before you get home: Before walking in your home after a busy day at work, take a moment to pause and relax. What awaits as soon as you walk through the door (kids, dinner, homework, cleaning, more work) can wait just a few minutes or seconds.
Start as soon as you wake up: Before hitting the ground running, start the day with meditation. This is one of the easiest meditations you can do and it helps set the tone for day. As soon as you’re awake and starting to think about your day, hit pause, use the restroom, and sit somewhere to reflect. You can do this sitting on the side of your bed even before you use the restroom. Make it work. Over time you will fine tune this routine.
