Meditation Cheat Sheet

Transcription

1 Meditation Cheat Sheet

2 The Meditation Cheat Sheet Whether you re completely new to meditation or have an established practice, you ll regularly encounter roadblocks. Some days are just harder than others; your mind seems to wander, and maintaining focus seems to be extra challenging. Meditation is a very personal practice, so the best environment and approach will vary from person to person. But there are some general strategies that can help you to get the most out of your meditation sessions. This cheat sheet was created to provide tips and tricks to help get you through those challenging sessions, improve your meditation practice, and help you become a more mindful person. Your friend, Michael P.S. You might also enjoy checking out our Mindfulness Cheat Sheet. It includes tips on how to squeeze a bit of mindfulness into your everyday life.

3 2 Set-Up and Surroundings 1. Try different seats. Or even try laying down. Find a position that makes you comfortable. 2. Meditate in the mornings. Consistency is key in meditation, and for many it will be almost impossible to meditate consistently in the evening. 3. Ditch the guided meditations. If you re like most people, you gravitate towards guided meditations. I get it -- it s nice to have some instruction. If you haven t done a silent meditation in a while, give it a shot -- you may be surprised at how productive it can be! Better Breath Focus Even experienced meditators struggle to keep their attention on the breath throughout the exercise. These are some techniques I ve found effective at maintaining focus: 4. Notice how each breath differs from the last (it may be louder, longer, easier, etc.) 5. Visualize your breath coming in and out (as if it were 10 degrees below zero) 6. Try to make each breath out last as long as possible. 7. Squeeze every possible bit of air out as you exhale. 8. Breathe loudly, and notice the sound of each breath. 9. Count to 8, counting each in-breath and out-breath separately. If you get to 8 without losing focus, start again. 10. Imagine your chest expanding towards the wall with each in breath. 11. Try popping a breath mint before meditating; you ll feel the sensation of breathing much more intensely. 12. Forget about the breath entirely; focus on sounds, smells, and the feeling of contact between yourself and the chair / ground. When You Catch Yourself Wandering Even with the techniques above, you ll inevitably become distracted and lose focus on your breath. When that happens, I find these devices useful for returning my attention to the breathing. 13. Ask can I be a bit more relaxed? You ll often find that your shoulders and neck tense when you meditate; use your distraction as a reminder to relax. 14. Visualize a snow globe settling down after being shaken. Your mind has been mixed up with distractions, but is calming down and returning focus to the breath. 15. Visualize a lake rippling out after a rock has been tossed in. Your mind has been similarly disturbed, but is slowly returning to its peaceful state. 16. Visualize a firework in the sky, with the embers floating to the ground. Your distraction has similarly burst but is now fading as you return focus to your breath.

4 3 After Your Daily Session 17. Congratulate yourself! Consistent meditation is hard, and you deserve to give yourself a pat on the back for completing another session -- no matter how successful minutes of digital silence. It s tempting to reach for your phone as soon as the session is over (especially if you re using it as a timer). But try to go without for just a few minutes longer; it makes for a nice transition into the rest of your day. 19. Post-it note. Place a blank post-it note on your desk. Each time you notice it, enjoy a few seconds of mindfulness. 20. Mindfulness trigger. Find some trigger in your daily life -- such as washing your hands, taking a bit of food, or starting a car -- and use it as a reminder to be mindful for just a few moments. More Mindfulness Triggers If you d like to continue your mindfulness throughout the day, these triggers can be extremely useful. Below are just a few more ideas: 21. Use your smartphone (there s no need to avoid or even cut back on this habit; every time you put it back in your pocket, take a few seconds to be mindful) 22. Wait for your computer to power up (take the time to be mindful of your surroundings, however mundane they may be). 23. Drink water (focus on the feeling on your mouth of a sip). 24. Turn a light on or off (be mindful of the change in the room). 25. See something you d like to eat (notice the physical and mental sensations in your body). 26. See a wild animal (such as a bird or squirrel...observe its movements) BONUS CONTENT: Suggested Meditations As a special bonus, below are 5 suggested meditation exercises. These are taken from the Meditation Starter Kit: Meditation #1: Body Scan When you begin today, you re going to open the session with a body scan. Don t worry, there s no medical equipment required this is a mental exercise. Start at the top of your head, and work your attention down to your toes. Along the way, try to simply be aware of the sensations in your body. You may notice: A sore muscle; Cold or warm hands (or feet); The feeling of your feet and/or butt in contact with the ground or chair; A general feeling of relaxation;

5 4 An itchy or comfortable piece of clothing. Once you ve made it down to the toes, you have a couple options. You might like to start over at the top of the head, and give another scan you may find a few things you missed (be sure to include your arms and hands in this scan ). Alternatively, turn your attention to the breath and continue the practice used in the first three days. When you re ready, start your timer and begin the meditation. Enjoy the feeling of being in touch with your body. Meditation #2: Compassion Today, we re going to try a different visualization exercise. Here s how it works: once you start the timer for today s 5 minutes, close your eyes and visualize four different people (or groups of people): A close friend, family member, or loved one; A passing acquaintance someone you see regularly, but whose name you don t know (it could be a mail carrier, barista, bus driver, etc.); Someone with whom you ve clashed or had a strained relationship; and A large group of people (this can be your entire company, your entire neighborhood, your entire city, etc.). After you ve closed your eyes, complete the following steps for the friend or loved one: Take a few moments to visualize the person clearly; To that person, say I wish you well (you don t have to say this out loud; you can visualize yourself saying it to him or her). Move on to the next person on your list the passing acquaintance and repeat the exercise. Do the same for the person with whom you ve clashed and then the large group. You may find that this takes only a few seconds for each person or group. That s perfectly fine. Once you ve completed the exercise, start over with the same family member or loved one again, and complete a second time. Once you ve addressed each person or group twice, turn your focus to your breath until the timer sounds. When you ve let these instructions sink in, start your timer and begin your first compassion meditation experience.

6 5 Meditation #3: Happiness Visualization Today s session is going to continue to practice visualization. This technique can be a bit challenging at first, but becomes easier with just a little bit of practice. Once you start your timer and close your eyes today, I want you to start with another visualization. This time, start with yourself, sitting in a dark room. Then visualize the following: Visualize your hands turned upward in front of your stomach, holding a small circle of bright light (about the size of a golf ball, but without any physical boundaries); Visualize this ball of light beginning to slowly expand, first to the size of a baseball, then a softball, then a basketball; Visualize the light continuing to expand until the entire room is covered in light; Visualize the light expanding to the rest of your house or apartment, then the rest of your block, and city; Visualize the light having an immediate, automatic impact on each person it touches: it causes them to smile; When you can t possibly visualize the light getting any larger, turn your focus back towards your breath until the timer sounds. If you notice your mind wandering from the visualization, that s perfectly fine. Much like you do when focusing on your breath, calmly return your focus to this visualization when you realize that you ve become distracted. This exercise might seem like a strange hippie ritual. But visualization is a key component of a successful meditation practice. Try out this exercise with an open mind. When you re ready, set your timer and begin. Enjoy today s meditation! If you d like more meditations like these, you can get the entire Meditation Starter Kit (82 pages) for just $1.

7 6 Want to jump start your meditations? I ve put together a Meditation Boot Camp course and am offering a DVD + full online access for just $1. It features 8 in-depth video tutorials, including a full-length guided meditation. I ll also give you the strategies that I ve personally used to build an effective and sustainable meditation practice. Click here to get the Meditation Boot Camp DVD for $1!