Mindfulness in Minutes

I have a friend, a devotee of meditation as a means to achieving mindfulness and equanimity. He will often sit for an hour at a time in meditation. An HOUR!

If, like me, you desire a mindful state yet are often busy on Facebook and Twitter, outside having adventures or working then you simply do not have time to sit still for that long. And so the lofty aspiration of achieving a Yoda-like state of mind will always evade us.

Or perhaps not.

Here are 2 methods of practising mindfulness that do not require hours of your precious time spent in lotus position:

• Micro Meditations: Break meditation down into a few short sessions per day. 

Waiting for the microwave to heat that ready-meal? Great, sit down and begin to notice your posture, are you comfortable or carrying any tension in the body? Just bring your awareness to it and relax. Notice your breathing, bringing the breath down into the belly, then observe any thoughts and feelings until PING your mac n' cheese is done and so is your bite-sized meditation.

I find using a trigger helps to remind me to practice. I meditate while I wait for the kettle boil or my ready-meal to heat in the microwave. Once you have developed a mental cue to remind you to practice the habit forms effortlessly.

• Active Meditations: These are great and do not require the use of a microwave.

During your day become aware of certain things that are going on. These could be anything! I notice the sensation in my feet as I walk to work, or I lookout for a particular colour or listen for a sound - something that makes you observe the present moment that you can stick with for some time.

If you notice that your mind has strayed then bring it back to focus on the present.

These simple techniques only take minutes to perform yet are so beneficial in helping you achieve clarity, calmness and reduce anxiety and stress. Give them a try and let me know how you get on

Of this, Yoda approves.