Mini-meditation

A mini-meditation may be just what you need to restore inner peace. There are several ways to meditate and it really doesn’t have to take up much time. Below, we describe three mini-meditations to help you on your way.

1.     Abdominal breathing: focus on your breathing for fifteen minutes. Sit down in a comfortable position or lie down. Close your eyes or when doing this outside or near a window, gaze at the clouds as they drift by. Become aware of where your body touches the ground. Place your hands on your belly and take a few breaths in and out. Try to breathe in for the same length of time as you breathe out. Feel your belly rise and fall and notice how the air moves around your body. This will calm you down and give you a sense of peaceful happiness.

2.     Brief body scan: this exercise helps you become aware of physical sensations in your body. Sit down in a relaxed position or just reflect for a moment on how you are sitting. Are you sitting straight? Are your feet touching the floor? Or are you sitting in the lotus position? Where are your arms? How do you feel? Do you notice any tension anywhere? If so, direct your attention to that area. Don’t judge, don’t think about why there may be tension there, just feel. After doing this, bring your attention back to your breathing. Breathe in and out. Feel the air move around your body. End this mini-meditation by briefly shaking your arms and legs so they are nice and loose.

3.     Listening meditation: during this meditation, you try to focus your attention on silence. There is never total silence, you can always hear something. Close your eyes and try to ‘feel’ where you experience sounds. Most sounds are sensed in and around the ears, of course, but sometimes also in your belly. Try to listen for the absence of sounds and less for external sounds. That way, you can discover your inner voice.

Do you prefer guided meditations? Why not try one of our zen sessions with signing bowls?