What's the most important meal of the day?
I know you want to say breakfast and sure maybe it is - for your body. But what about your brain? What are you shoveling into it all day?
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For me, it's generally a steady diet of negativity, stress and internet. Translated: Brain Junk Food.
How about we start our day with something that will help your brain?
Meditation
Meditation, which Merriam Webster defines as to engage in mental exercise, is the equivalent of eating a healthy salad. The good thing is, that no actual eating is required. Meditation, is just simpy sitting still and letting go.
Look up types of meditation and you'll find dozens of tried and true methods. But where should you start?
Sure, you could go to Wikihow and read steps to meditation while looking at sometimes hilariously bad drawings or you can just start.
Here's a couple of steps to help you begin meditation right now.
- Don't set aside twenty minutes in the morning before you have to leave for work or school
Start off slow. If you want to eat healthy, you're not going to shove a salad for five down for breakfast.
You'll burn yourself out before you even start.
-Start with one minute
Set aside one minute for meditation. That isn't asking a lot seeing as you have 1,339 minutes left at your disposal today.
-Find some place quiet and free of distraction
Your bedroom, your office, even your bathroom is a good place. Find somewhere where you won't be distracted.
-Silence your phone
You can go one minute without looking at your phone....can't you?
-Sit comfortably
Save the lotus position for next time. Just sit or even stand somewhere where you won't be thinking about how uncomfortable you are.
-Just be you
Sure you can say mantras or do breathing exercises but if you haven't meditated before, this just serves as a distraction
-Don't do a thing
Meditation should be a time for you. Just exist. Just sit or stand there. If your mind wanders a little, as it will, it's ok. Don't clamp down on your brain and say NO, I'M MEDITATING.
When your mind wanders, gently focus on where you are right now.
My mind loves to wander. Your mind does the same thing. The key to meditation is just letting it happen. And then gently coming back to where you are right now.
Don't forget to set some kind of timer.
You may be so relaxed in 60 seconds that you forget everything else. Well, great! Just don't be late for work!
Meditate for just a minute! You'll be starting your brain off with the most important meal of the day.
