Mini-meditations are a way to foster peace of mind

NEW YORK (AP):

The idea of meditating can be intimidating. Beginners may imagine sitting uncomfortably in silence while breathing deeply and scrubbing all thoughts from their minds.

But there are many ways to do it.

“Meditation is quite easy, as a matter of fact. I think there’s a stigma around it, that you have to be in complete silence and you have to have some room setup, or do some chanting or some serious breathing,” said Michelle Beyer, a wellness coach who owns the Brooklyn women’s gym Alana Life & Fitness. “There [are] one-minute meditations you can do to make yourself feel great. Nobody will even know you’re doing them.”

While there are different meditation techniques, many traditions encourage focusing on breathing to help calm the mind. When thoughts pop up, imagine letting them go.

Here are some easy mini-meditations to try out:

A SHORT PAUSE

If you only have a minute or two, there is enough time to try Kathryn Remati’s instructions for a quick reset. Remati is a meditation teacher and author of Befriend Yourself.

Close your eyes and take a long, slow, deep breath to fill your tummy and lungs with air, she said. Hold the breath for a second and then slowly breathe out like you’re blowing out a candle. “You’ll immediately feel a shift and you’ll feel like a human again,” Remati said.

While repeating that process, consider setting a positive intention or goal for the day. Instead of focusing on a to-do list, think about how you want to behave towards others, she said. Some intention examples are, “Today I’m going to be productive, but I’m also going to be a good listener” or “I want to have a positive attitude,” she said.

PICTURE YOUR BLISS

Visualisation is another technique that experienced meditators use. Picture yourself succeeding at the challenges you’ll encounter that day. If there’s an upcoming deadline, envision yourself finishing the task 10 minutes early.

Throughout the day, “you can bring up that image anytime you need it to refocus,” she said.

BODY SCAN

Another short meditation that can be done almost anywhere involves breathing deeply and mentally scanning your body for sensations, a technique popularised in the US by mindfulness practitioner Jon Kabat-Zinn. Depending on your location and comfort level, you can keep your eyes open or closed.

Inhale through the nose and out through the mouth. Start with your feet and work your way up, noticing any areas with pain, tightness, tingling, warmth or other sensations. Think about relaxing the muscles of any spots where there’s tension.

“You’re intentionally scanning your body,” Beyer said. “You’re thinking about how do your feet feel in your shoes? How do your ankles feel? Knees, hips, ribs, shoulders, neck, head, and, by the time you know it, you checked in with every part of your body.”

FINGER AND THUMB

Another discreet meditation technique is breathing deeply and joining your pointer finger to your thumb to form a circle. You can do this if you feel your stress level rising. “Say to yourself, whenever I put my finger and thumb together, I will be able to be peaceful and open-minded,” Remati said.

INHALING IN AND HUMMING OUT

One of Beyer’s favourite techniques is best done when there aren’t a lot of people nearby. Truck drivers can do it in traffic. You inhale and then, when you’re breathing out, you hum with your lips closed, she said.

“It’s going to immediately take down stress levels in the body and even in the mind,” Beyer said. “When you inhale and you focus on humming, then your brain is focused on that, not the ‘what ifs’ or the worries that like to take over when we feel stressed.”

SHOULDER AND JAW RELEASE

To start, inhale through the nose and exhale through the mouth. Repeat that, and then on the third exhale, roll your shoulders back. Inhale a fourth time and then, on the next exhale, relax your tongue and jaw, Beyer said. Finally, inhale again, bring your attention to your hands and just let them hang heavy, she said. Then, breathe in and out a sixth time.

MANTRAS AND AFFIRMATIONS

Another technique Remati encourages is saying mantras or affirmations, which are positive statements or slogans you repeat to yourself. You can write them down and say them in your head or out loud while breathing deeply, at any point throughout the day.

Some phrases you might say: “I am calm.” Deep breath. “I am confident.” Deep breath. “I am ready for success,” Remati suggested. “I speak my truth. I am patient. I am here for the highest good of all.”