Five Minute Meditation
Often in our busy days, we forget to take the time to relax and reflect on how we are feeling both physically and emotionally. For just five minutes, take some time to focus on connecting with yourself. Take a timer, a notepad, and a pen to a quiet room with soft lighting. Sit up straight in a comfortable chair, remove your shoes, and get started.
Minute 1: Breathe Deeply
Rest your hands on the tops of your thighs, palms raised towards to ceiling for receiving and palms on thighs for grounding. Sit up straight with your legs hip-width apart and your feet flat on the ground. Close your eyes if you choose, or let your gaze rest, unfocused, a few feet in front of you. Now deepen your breathing (either through the nose, the mouth, or both). Inhale for a count of five, exhale for a count of seven. Repeat.
Minute 2: Find Your Natural Pace
After you have practiced your deep breathing, stop counting, and allow yourself to fall into an easy breathing pattern. Pay attention to your breathing, not overly shallow or deep, and compare it to your natural cadence. Typically, most people tend to take short, weak breaths throughout the day. This deprives your blood of oxygen, consequently lowering energy levels. Focus on the rise and fall of your shoulders with every inhale and exhale.
Minute 3: Stay Focused
Continue to bring awareness to your breath. If random thoughts keep popping into your head, imagine them as floating clouds. Do not push them out or linger on them. Rather, use this visualization technique to acknowledge your worries without dwelling on them. If a thought doesn’t drift away, write it down on a note pad and return your focus to the meditation.
Minute 4: Relax
Release your focus on your breathing and simply sit. Remind yourself that there’s nothing to fix or change.
Minute 5: Give Thanks
Think about something that you are grateful for: your loved ones, your job, your goals, etc. After focusing on some things you are grateful for, slowly transition your thoughts to how you physically feel. Are your muscles relaxed? Is your heart beating fast or slow? Open your eyes, stand up, and get ready to conquer the rest of your day— calm, cool, and collected.