I have been a consistent yoga and meditation practitioner for over 10 years of my life. The practice has truly changed my life and continues to open up new perspectives to help me move through any life challenge that comes my way.
It creates a space for my mind to be still. When everything quiets down is when I’m able to truly tap into my intuition and find the inspiration that I’m searching for at the moment.
The benefits of meditation have very quickly permeated through all areas of my life, personal and professional.
For many left-brained people, meditation feels very unaccessible. However, getting connected to specific techniques will help you more easily incorporate meditation into your daily life.
“Meditation is Not for Me.”
As we move through our lives in the corporate world, how many of us are often going from one stressful meeting to the next, without having time to take a breather for ourselves? I have been there many times.
The key is to learn how to access the tools you need to reset your mind during challenging moments so that you can show up as your best self. Centering techniques are great ways to help you do that and these techniques become easier to access the more you practice them.
Many of you are probably thinking, “Meditation is not for me.” — But it doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact, it doesn’t have to be routine. You don’t even need to sit on a cushion to benefit from a centering practice!
When I guided 10-minute weekly meditations for the employees at my company, I’ve quickly realized that the idea of having a meditation routine can be unrealistic and possibly intimidating for many. This is when I started to think about how we can practice quieting our minds in an accessible way for corporate professionals.
Centering vs. Meditation
This is where my version of centering comes in. Centering, to me, is a way for us to reset our energy and calm our minds during stressful moments in our lives. When done effectively, all you’ll need is a few minutes and you can do this anywhere and any time in your day.
You can do this in between meetings, during meetings, on your way to lunch, on your bathroom breaks… etc. etc. My favorite techniques are breathing techniques, which I find to be most accessible for beginners. Below are some of favorite ways to get into centering.
#1 – Setting Up Your Practice The Right Way — Makes All the Difference
- You can be seated on a chair, on the floor or laying down. If you are on a chair, have your back rested against your chair and your feet planted firmly on the floor. However you choose to show up, make sure you feel supported.
- Keep your chin away from your neck. Imagine a string pulling you slowly from the crown of your head towards the ceiling!
- Close your eyes or keep them slightly open with a soft gaze.
- Feel alert but relaxed at the same time.
#2 – Bring Your Attention to Breathing
- Start to bring your focus towards your breath. Every inhale and every exhale.
- Slowly lengthen your breath by inhaling for a count of 5 and exhaling for a count of 5. Do this for at least 5 rounds.
#3 – Managing Thoughts and Emotions
- It’s okay to have thoughts and emotions! In fact, it is impossible to not. The key is to simply bring awareness to them.
- Once you notice a thought, label it “thinking.” If you notice an emotion, label it “feeling.” Then bring your attention back to your breath.
It takes Practice
To be able to center yourself within a few minutes of time takes practice. So be patient! With practice, it will begin to feel effortless.
How have you connected to idea of centering and mindfulness?
