Most people say they would like to meditate. Most people say they don't meditate. And why? Because, they say, they don't have time. So how and when do busy people, like you, make moments to meditate?
First thing in the morning The moment you open your eyes and know you are awake is a great time to start meditating. Start by greeting yourself, the powerful positive soul you are. And then greet the One who never sleeps.
At mealtimes Before you eat, you can sit for a moment, meditating on the good fortune of having food to eat and with the understanding of how our thoughts affect our food, what we think, do and become. Filling our food with powerful thoughts of gratitude and grace means we feed ourselves too, with all good things. [Also of interested: The Mindful Kitchen and Yum Yum Yogi].
Throughout the day - Traffic Control We are all drivers on the highway of life, and every now and then it is good to check the direction in which we are travelling. When we drive our car on the road we have to stop at every traffic light, so perhaps we can learn to take advantage of these traffic light moments during the day to practise some meditation. In the same way, by pausing our thoughts from time to time we can check and re-direct them, and create a method to make positive changes that will help to put our mind back into neutral.
Taking short peace breaks for the mind gives us a chance to re-focus our thinking, and helps to put the mind back into the right gear to create a positive flow of thoughts and feelings. By doing this, we will find that our day will run more smoothly and peacefully, because ‘traffic control' moments allow us to maintain balanced thinking.
At Night Before you sleep is a good time for your final meditation of the day. Book yourself a little time, as part of your bedtime routine, to sit quietly with yourself and reflect on the day – considering what was well done and what could be done differently tomorrow. Deliberately close up the ‘files' of the day's activities and put them away in your mind, so you can bring the day to a close and allow yourself to slip into sleep, untroubled and at peace.
Anytime Whenever you arrive at a moment of anxiety or indecision, uncertain of the way forward, that could be a moment to go ‘within' and await an answer.
In a moment of gratitude and pleasure, why not share it with the One. When frustrated, lonely, tired or happy, uplifted, optimistic – all these are moments to find power to deal with negatives and times to enjoy and enrich the positive – anytime is time for a moment of meditation.
