Meditation is stereotyped as boring, new-agey, weird, difficult, etc. Don’t give up yet. Any scientist or doctor would agree that the brain in your head is the most complex thing ever discovered in the universe. Imagine if you had the greatest new Ferrari so powerful that you couldn’t drive it. Such is the case with brain. The average human being loses their attention span 6-8 times per minute. By learning to focus your brain, you become smarter, healthier, more likeable. Let’s redefine meditation as the sport of driving your brain.
Here are some ideas to play this sport on-the-fly:
1. Waiting in line, breathe deeply
When you’re waiting in line at the coffee shop or at airport security, focus on your breath. Inhale for the count of 3, and exhale for the count of 3. Repeat this breath until you reach the front of the line. We take over 20,000 breaths in a 24 hour period; yet we'll go days or weeks without paying attention to the sound of even 1 breath. The yogis believe that the breath is to your mind what a mother’s voice is to her newborn. Sooooooooooothing.
“When the breath wanders the mind also is unsteady. But when the breath is calmed the mind too will be still, and the yogi achieves long life.” - Svatmarama, Hatha Yoga Pradipika
2. Before a meeting or interview, relax your eyes
There’s never a better time to take control of your mind. Fix your eyes on one spot for 2 minutes. This will harness the mind and provide a sense of stillness. The yogis define a type of strength emitted by one who has harnessed their mind. They call this type of strength SHAKTI. President Clinton was said to have great shakti. Many people report that when talking to Clinton, they felt like the only person in the room.
“Character - a reserved force which acts directly by presence, and without means.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson
3. When driving, listen to good music.
On occasion, turn off the cell phone and listen to a great song on the drive to work. Music creates structure for your thoughts which in essence is meditation. Music also awakens your sense of sound. The ancients utilized the entire palette of senses whereas nowadays, we depend primarily on sight. According to the yogis, harnessing your senses is engaging the soul's GPS.
"Not to have control over the senses is like sailing in a rudderless ship, bound to break to pieces on coming in contact with the very first rock." - Gandhi
