Meditation is the new black. Getting in a few minutes of zen is no longer delegated to hippies or vows of silence, everyone from new moms to business execs are finding the time to meditate. And the beauty is, you don’t even have to roll out your mat or prop up a pillow to reap the benefits, either: a few minutes of meditation can fit in wherever you are.
Earlier this year, we spoke to professional meditation coach Lynne Goldberg on the facts vs. fictions of meditation, and she gave us a ten minute no-nonsense guide to getting started. Today, we’re taking her advice one step further by sharing 4 unexpected places to om it out in ten minutes or less…
How to meditate anywhere…
On Your Commute
Okay, so zooming 65mph down the highway isn’t exactly what we’re talking about, but sitting on the subway, riding the bus, and yes, even stopped in rush-hour traffic are excellent places to clear your mind and find the stillness in the rush.
At The Market
Standing in line at the grocery store doesn’t need to be a toe-tapping, sigh-inducing experience. Take a few deep breaths and soften your gaze, not focusing on any one thing in particular. Before you know it, you’ll be out of line and through the door.
In The Air
You’re sitting on a cushiony seat, floating miles above the sky…sounds like a recipe for meditative success to us. The buzzing of the plane engine can be just the right kind of “white noise” to get you into the zone no matter who (or what) is in the seat next to you…
At A Party
Whether you’re an extrovert to the max or introverted to the core, carving out a couple minutes to get centered while at a big shindig can make the whole experience more enjoyable and fulfilling. You can do this one of two ways. Either mindfully meditate while standing to the side and “people watching,” or our personal fave, you can steal away to the restroom (yes, really) for a few moments alone to find your center. Trust us on this one – taking the time to yourself in the middle of the hubbub makes for a much more fun experience, and opens you up to all kinds of new connections.
A NO-NONSENSE, DO-ANYWHERE GUIDED MEDITATION
The Sigh
Start with one really big, slow, deep cleansing breath. Expanding your stomach and chest fully on the breath in, and exhaling fully, feeling tension leaving your body as you let the air out through your mouth. You can sigh audibly if you like.
Deep Breaths
Come back to the natural rhythm of your breath, breathing in and out through your nose. Now bring your attention fully to your breath, noticing the temperature of the air as it touches your nostrils and following the breath into your nasal passages, your lungs, your belly.
Reverse Breaths
Now reverse that pattern to breath to belly and then chest, paying attention to the sensation of air as it leaves your nostrils. On your inhale you can repeat silently to yourself, “breathing in.” On your breath out you can say, “breathing out.”
A Little attention
Whenever you notice that your attention has drifted away from your breath just gently come back to it and those statements. Don’t worry if you have to do this over and over – that’s the practice of meditation. Take one final deep, cleansing breath – and you’re done!
For more meditation tips from Lynne, read her Meditation 101 post on TCM by clicking through here!
