for busy people
Meditation is even more important in a high-stress, high-intensity lifestyle
David Michie, high-energy corporate communications consultant and novelist, thought he had found the answer and achieved his life's goals. But despite the high-level job and luxe apartment in London, the BMW, and the loving relationship, a small voice was telling him otherwise. A chance remark sent him to his local Buddhist center, where he began the most important journey of his life. Not only did he learn to become enlightened and more mindful, he has successfully fit it in to his seemingly nonstop lifestyle.
If you have been reluctant to meditate because you thought there was too much to learn to actually do it, Michie counters and says that understanding is not the hard part (mediation is really quite simple), the hard part is putting it into practice.
And if the simplicity of it isn’t enough to motivate you to incorporate meditation into your life, then maybe the benefits will. In addition to the calm, relaxation, reduced stress and centeredness that meditation can bring, it can also result in mental clarity, improved quality of life, increased production at work, the realization of true happiness and improved mental and physical health. Daily meditation is a small segment of your day that yields big results.
Steps for meditation in action
Ready to give meditation a place in your life? Here is Michie’s advice:
Get into position
Michie says its important to get into a posture that conduces concentration. “As mind and body are interdependent, in a certain pose the mind naturally becomes calmer and more stable,” he explains.
Seven-point posture: Before you meditate, put yourself in the seven-point meditation posture. Sit cross-legged, supported by a cushion if necessary (you can even sit in a chair if sitting on the floor is uncomfortable). Rest your hands in your lap, right hand in left with thumbs meeting, ideally with your thumbs at navel level.
Keep a straight back and relax your mouth, jaw and tongue – place the tip of your tongue behind your front teeth. Tilt your head slightly forward with your eyes half-closed or gazing unfocused on the floor in front of you. Keep your shoulders level and arms jutting out comfortably allowing air to circulate around your body.
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