Listen to the Episode Here (09:55)
Let’s face it…one of our biggest obstacles to our success is our own minds. Do you ever feel like you are constantly having conversations with yourself (inside your head)? I definitely do, and sometimes these thoughts and conversations are pretty stressful. But I’ve learned that the minute you realize that you are not your mind, then you become empowered to make some changes in your life. You have to remember that you are NOT your mind. Your mind is simply a tool. But, that tool (left unmanaged) can work against you as much as help you.
Research shows that most of us have up to 60,000 per day, and I can tell you from experience that most of those thoughts are unproductive and unmanaged. That is the primary reason that I started to meditate.
Meditation is the #1 way I have learned to manage my thoughts and become more productive with my life. Now full disclosure, I am definitely NOT an expert on meditation, but I would love to share some thoughts, tips and ideas with you that might help you to benefit from meditation like I have.
So, Why Should You and I Start Meditating?
Meditation has been proven over time to create amazing to those that choose to practice it regularly. It is not just an ambiguous or hyped up thing?
Here are just a few of the benefits you might receive from meditating:
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Less Stress & Anxiety
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Better Quality of Sleep
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Better Health & Vitality
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Increased Productivity
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Focused on Present Moment
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Increased Quality of Life
Bottom line…there are so many benefits that high highly recommend you start some form of meditation.
What the Difference between Meditation and Mindfulness?
When I first started meditating, I did a ton of research. I started to realize that there were many different styles, techniques and trainings for meditation. However, one of the main distinctions I found was there was a difference between Mindfulness and Meditation, and they both serve a purpose.
Mindfulness is the practice of learning to focus on the present moment. You can do this by focusing on your breath or a stationary object or simple noticing your 5 senses. Mindfulness is also something that you can practice throughout your day, and will definitely help you to enjoy life more.
Meditation is the process of “letting go”. It involves learning to take your mind and body into a different state of consciousness where your and mind and body can get super creative and productive in healing, relaxing or producing results in many areas of your life. It can be described as a 4th state of consciousness that is not waking, sleeping or dreaming.
Just knowing the difference in these two things helped me to get started, and I hope you will take the time to research a bit on your own as well.
Here are some Tips, Strategies and Techniques that might Help You…
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Start with Just a Couple Minutes- It might sound simple but staying consistent is important so just start with a few minutes and increase it over time.
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Do it First Thing in the Morning- If you start your day with meditation you will set yourself up for success and will always get your meditation in each day.
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Don’t Worry about How you Feel- You don’t have to be in the mood to meditate. Like working out, you are meditating for the benefits and not because you need it in the moment.
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Find a Quiet Place- When you start I think its important to find a quiet place and minimize distractions to set yourself up for success.
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Start by Breathing or Counting Breath- You can start meditating by simply closing your eyes and focusing on or counting your breaths.
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Do a Body Scan- Another relaxing technique is to simply close your eyes and notice, relax and focus on one specific body part at a time. Start at your toes and slowly work your way up your body till you get to the top of your head.
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Notice the Senses- Your mind cannot normally focus on too many things at once, so when I have been stressed I will sometimes close my eyes and notice all 5 senses to distract my mind. Try this one for sure.
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Don’t Worry about Technique- Please don’t worry too much about what Style, Technique or Practice you start. This will keep you from Starting a Practice.
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Notice Distractions and Simply Refocus- When you become distracting with random thoughts (and you will), simply notice the thoughts and bring your attention back to focus…no worries.
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Follow Guided Meditation if Needed- Sometimes it helps to use a guided meditation or one with music and sounds of nature.
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Take a Course- There are also a ton of free ebooks, courses, and mobile apps you can use for meditation. Take the time to find resources that work for you.
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Make Upfront Commitment- Most importantly, I encourage you to make decision and a commitment UPFRONT to start and stay with a meditation practice.
Those are just a few ideas and lessons I’ve learned over the years, so I hope they help you. Now let me give you a few of my favorite resources and people I feel you can look into for more information and help with meditation.
Resources for Meditation Success
Calm or Headspace Mobile Apps- these two mobile apps are the most popular and they both have free or lite versions. They also have short 7 days introductory courses on how to meditate you can use to get started.
Wayne Dyer- I love Wayne’s approach to meditation and he has tons of audios, books and stuff online I encourage you to research and use.
ZenHabits.net- this website blog is a very simple, practical source that I read from time to time on subjects of Meditation, Lifestyle and Simplifying my life.
Zivameditation.com- Emily Fletcher is an expert on Meditation and really simplifies that concept of Mindfulness, Meditation, and Manifestation. I have benefited from your courses a bunch.
Transcendental Meditation- This is probably the most popular form of meditation and many experts, celebrities and people I know have benefited from this type of meditation. It is a type of meditation that offers courses locally around the country and involves the use of a mantra that you repeat while meditating to stay focused on clearing your mind. Check it out.
Anyway, that is my basic thoughts, ideas and tips for you with meditation. Overall, I feel like you can really talk your Daily Rituals and Your Life to a whole new level if you start a DAILY practice of meditation, and its my hope that you will Try this or expand your current knowledge of meditation to increase your Quality of Life.
Until tomorrow, thanks for reading and have an amazing day.
George Wright III
