So what can make you happier, more focused and energetic in just a few minutes a day?
You can do it in your bed before you get up in the morning or before going to sleep at night. You can do it while having a relaxing soak in a nice hot bath. You can do it on an aeroplane to help pass the time on a long journey. In fact, you can do it wherever you are, at any time of the day, as long as you have the time and the inclination to do so.
You probably guessed it by now. Yes, it’s meditation.
Do you know someone who meditates? Probably you do as more and more people take on the practice of meditation. For some of them, it’s a daily practice, while for others it’s just for emergency situations. What are some of those emergency situations? It’s those moments when you feel like your life is spinning out of control. It’s for times when you can’t seem to get out of your own way.
It was also an “emergency situation” when I first turned to meditation. I was extremely stressed and overwhelmed trying to juggle work commitments and motherhood, up to the point when I started to have panic attacks out of nowhere. I was desperately trying to find a solution to relieve stress.
As working less, walking in nature, self-care and other recommended approaches were not feasible at that moment, I figured I could meditate for a few minutes every night before I fall asleep and see how it goes. And it worked, I felt fresher, happier, more focused, and more energetic than usual. I was able to deal with stressful situations much better. Then it became an almost daily practice.
If you want to conquer the anxiety of life, live in the moment, live in the breath.
– Amit Ray