Do You Want To Relax And Think Clearly?

Learning To Be In The Moment

Imagine thinking clearly, and feeling relaxed at will. Could you get more done? Enjoy life more? Would you like to know how to do that right now? Start by learning how to put yourself more in the moment with a simple mindfulness exercise.

Basic Mindfulness Exercises

A basic mindfulness exercise begins with sitting down, relaxing and breathing deeply. Close your eyes and pay attention to your breathing, following the breath in and out a few times. Then move your attention to your body, one part at a time, noticing any sensations of cold, hot, tight, sore or anything you can identify. After a few minutes, start listening to the sounds of the room, without judging, criticising or thinking about them. Just listen for a minute.

Open your eyes and look around as if seeing for the first time. Rest your eyes on any object for half a minute. Examine it without talking about it in your mind. Repeat this with another object, and then another, while still maintaining an awareness of your body and breath. Continue this state of mindfulness until you're ready to get up.

When sensing your body, your breath, and your immediate surroundings, you are more fully "in the moment." A mindfulness exercise like this puts your mind in a receptive state while removing mental distractions that hinder clear thinking. It leaves you ready to work mentally. Do this before important mental tasks and you'll find you have more focus and concentration.

Using Mindfulness For Daily Life

When you're in the middle of a task and feel stressed, stop. Take three deep breaths, then carefully watch yourself until identify what is bothering you. Find everything you can. Are you expecting something bad to happen? Is an argument from this morning still going on just below the surface of your consciousness? Are you worried about something? Is some part of your body in pain? Note everything you find.

Now deal with these thieves-of-concentration one by one. Make the phone call that's on your mind, take an aspirin if you need to, and apologise to someone if necessary. Take things from your mind and put them on a list for tomorrow (in writing). If all you can do is acknowledge that there's nothing you can do right now - do that. After doing this mindfulness exercise, you'll feel less stressed, and you'll be able to concentrate more effectively on the tasks at hand. Try it now.

Steve Gillman has meditated and studied meditation for over twenty years. You can visit his website, and subscribe to The Meditation Newsletter at: http://www.TheMeditationSite.com/newsletter. html

---

Wireless Meditation: Top Five Tips For Wherever-Whenever Mindfulness

The problem with meditation is attachment.We get in the habit of needing our altar, favorite cushion, incense, CD, certain time of day, necessary length of time, or... Read More

How to Train Your Brain to Keep You Healthy and Happy

When you are unhappy what do you do? Do you go out for a meal? Go to the cinema? The theatre, perhaps? Do you go shopping? Perhaps... Read More

Meditation, Self-Acceptance & the Muse

Meditation presents an interesting paradox. It requires humility and acceptance, and yet it results in self-empowerment and increased confidence.Low self-esteem, which affects and can cripple many creative... Read More

Whats The Point of Meditating?

What are you likely to gain from meditating?Simple:? It improves the power of your concentration.? Calms you down.? And enables you to know what you want out... Read More

Secrets of Meditation For Better Health

Meditation can improve your health, increase energy levels and maximize your enjoyment of life. Without a doubt, more people would benefit from meditation if they took the... Read More

Tips for Better Meditation

Meditation students often come to me and ask what they can do to improve their meditation. Success in meditation is not the result of any one single... Read More

Objective Meditations: What is Reality?

Is reality a projection from within the mind, or is it an "altered lens" into the outside world? Let's look at the altered lens theory first. Obviously,... Read More

Subconscious

The subconscious is a scarey thing to comtemplate for some people. We have been taught that it is a dark place that keeps deep dark secrets about... Read More

How To Meditate Without Even Trying

I remember when I started trying to meditate. I would sit down, close my eyes, and try to be really calm (my definition of meditation at the... Read More

Meditate with Mindful Breathing

Breathing in, I calm my body. Breathing out, I smile. Dwelling in the present moment, I know this is a wonderful moment!Do you live a life of... Read More

Yoga Meditation For Pain Relief

The purpose of this article is to provide information on methods and techniques on how to cope with pain, or in some instances, possibly even overcoming pain... Read More

Relax Into Health

I'd like to share a little secret about relaxation techniques for athletes (or health-minded people that workout) and anyone that wants to feel more focused, calm, healthy... Read More

A Forty-Five-Second Meditation

Is Meditation Too Much Time And Trouble?If you haven't meditated before, you might think it's too much trouble to learn. If you do meditate, you know it... Read More

Meditation - Easy Tools for Success

Do you want to learn how to meditate? Have you tried to meditate but you keep falling asleep? Or you're not sure you are doing it right?... Read More

Active Meditation For Surges In Energy Levels!

When I first started learning about deep breathing exercises and meditation I had this pre-conceived notion of sitting very still for long periods of time, my body... Read More

Meditation and the Monkey Mind?

Some find the term, "monkey mind", upsetting, derogatory, and insulting. This is a shame, as the point is lost, the ego is involved, and a natural human... Read More

Experiencing Peace as You Would Imagine Peace to be

Peace can mean quiet, tranquility, serenity, peace of mind, mental calmness, friendliness, no wars, civil disorders or strife. Sometimes a word makes sense and other times there... Read More

Can Cognitive Fitness Be a Workout for Your Brain?

There is growing interest to exercise your brain using something called "cognitive fitness."It's a known fact that exercise and meditation reduce anxiety, ease depression, and give you... Read More

How You Can Unite Meditation, Divine Essence, And Personal Tenacity to Serve Your Highest Purpose

1. Meditation:Meditation is a sacred practice. Shamans, gurus, priests, medicine men and other wise beings have practiced meditation for over 5000 years. In the 20th century, Maharishi... Read More

Meditation Is Not Just for Men with White Beards

What kind of picture comes to mind when someone mention the word "meditation?"I don't know about you, but for me, I use to get a picture of... Read More

You Can Meditate Right Now

Why Should You Meditate?What if you could close your eyes, then open them a few minutes later and be relaxed, alert, and able to think clearly? Meditation... Read More

The Relationship Between Meditation and Self-Analysis

These are two very powerful tools for self-improvement, but how can you use them in harmony? For example: Self-analysis and meditation cannot be performed at the same... Read More

Bhagavad Gita Commentary

Most of us have heard the story of the centipede who, when asked how he managed to walk with so many legs, could no longer do so,... Read More

Mindfulness and Eating: Divine Desk Dining

Are you stuck eating lunch at your desk again?Lucky you.You see, staying put can be surprisingly soothing compared to making a mad dash to the cafe for... Read More

4 Little Known Secrets of Meditation

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-Secret #1:The True Purpose of Meditation=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Many people feel a sense of fascination when confronted with the possibility of mystic visions, psychic intuition and heightened mental functioning.... Read More

How to Use White Noise

White noise is: A sound containing a blend of all the audible frequencies distributed equally over the range of the frequency band. White noise is analogous to... Read More