This quick meditation has two components: a breathing part and a thinking part. The basis is using your deep breath as a container for a specific thought. As you will soon discover, this practice can easily be done anywhere at anytime, when you are needing a moment to regroup.
First, you practice deep breathing until you can produce a breath that lasts about five seconds on the inhale and slightly longer on the exhale. Learning to do this will take you only a few minutes. Once you have mastered this skill, this already quick meditation will become even faster for you to complete.
Then you insert a thought into the breath, silently thinking half the thought on the inhale and half the thought on the exhale. You repeat this cycle for about thirty seconds. Breathe in and begin your thought. Breathe out and end your thought. With each breath, you should feel the tension in your body slowly releasing.
By consciously deciding to breathe more slowly, the parasympathetic nervous system becomes dominant. Your heart rate drops, your blood pressure lowers as the blood vessels relax, and your body is put into a state of calm and healing. Continue breathing slowly and purposefully until you sense this stillness in your body.
Congratulations, you have successfully contained your thoughts in your breath, expelling them from your body! Remember your thoughts are just that, thoughts. Don’t allow them to torture you physically. Use this short meditation whenever you need to feel more grounded, centered, and calm.
Incantations for a quick meditation
- (I expect) (nothing)
- (I embrace) (this moment)
- (I am free) (of the past)
- (I accept myself) (completely)
- (Relax, Dear) (It’s good enough)