In the previous articles, I have extensively discussed about the benefits of yoga meditation and breathing techniques to help combat the stresses of day to day living.
Now that you are more aware of the great benefits of yoga meditation, you are probably wondering, how you can fit it into your daily routine, when you are constantly juggling tasks, working around tight schedules and constantly on the go. While it may seem easy, there are all too real meditation roadblocks that keep you from finding some quiet time for yourself.
Yoga Meditation While On The Go
Here are some suggestions on how you can still enjoy the benefits of yoga meditation despite the demands of modern living:
While walking. Try to sync your breathing with your steps. Take time to walk slower and strive to focus on each movement while striving to quiet your mind.
While eating lunch. Instead of hurriedly chomping on your food, slow down and focus on chewing every bite slowly. Take time to notice the flavor of your food, along with its smell and texture to heighten your enjoyment. In this simple activity, you do not only enjoy the experience of eating but also reaping the calming benefits of yoga meditation.
- While stuck in traffic. Choose to repeat your favorite yoga meditation word or phrase. For beginners, you can say “calm” to yourself repeatedly. This will help you tune out all the distractions, anxious thoughts and simply enjoy the peace and quiet. When you are stuck in traffic, it doesn’t make sense getting all worked up when you know you won’t be going anywhere. Use this time productively by performing a short, relaxing yoga meditation instead.
- While at the office. Work is one of the common causes of stress in life, may it be piled up work, deadlines to beat, demanding bosses, etc. Take time to rejuvenate yourself and relieve stress by pausing from your tasks, closing your eyes and take some deep calming breaths for just a few minutes in a day. It does work wonders in calming frayed nerves and achieving better focus all throughout the day.
- When dealing with arguments. Human relationships matter. However, frictions and confrontations are inevitable. When you feel your stress levels are hiking up due to an argument, consciously choose to calm down by silently repeating the word “in” as you inhale and “out” as you exhale. This will help you return to a calmer state and curb down impulsive reactions.
Squeeze In A 3-Minute Yoga Meditation To Your Daily Routine
The great thing about yoga meditation is the fact that whether you perform it for 30 minutes or 3 minutes, you can look forward to enjoying its benefits.
The important thing to keep in mind here is consistency and commitment to stick to performing yoga meditation on a daily basis to derive best results.
Below is the simple guide to help you meditate for just 3 minutes a day.
Visualization
At any given busy workday, the mind is constantly abuzz with thoughts, ideas, anxieties and plans that force us to focus on somewhere else instead of living in the ‘now’.
When you feel you need to give your mind an instant vacation from all the worries and concerns, a good yoga meditation you can try is looking out to the distances, focusing on the horizon. Try to find the farthest point you can see and allow your eyes to softly focus while taking 2 slow and calming breaths. Try to let go all thoughts in your head and clear your mind. During this moment, refuse to deal with stress and simply take pleasure in the simple act of breathing.
Body Scan
Stress does not only affect the mind, it can also cause the body muscles to tense up. With this yoga meditation, you can work on releasing this unhealthy tension. While you are on a sitting position, progressively tense up all parts of your body and consciously release the tension. You can start working on your forehead muscles, working your way down to your toes. Concentrate on tightening every muscle group, making sure you deeply and slowly inhale and exhale as you hold and release the tension.
Conscious Eating
Most of use eat without ever really being conscious of what we put into our mouths. You can incorporate the benefits of yoga meditation through conscious eating. This is effective and recommended for people battling with overeating. In order to help you to be more aware of your food, choose to slow down and really take time to focus and enjoy your food, keeping your mind focused on the eating process. Notice your hands holding the utensils, and take notice of the taste, texture and smell of your food. This will help you find a new level of appreciation in enjoying your food.
You see, yoga meditation can be performed anywhere. It forces you to slow down and take stock of where you are, what you are doing and take pleasure in simply living, breathing and enjoying the simple experiences that most of us almost always take for granted. To fortify your commitment, learn about the 3 life-changing habits to complement your yoga practice.
