If you\u2019re feeling stressed out, a little meditation may be just what you need. It doesn\u2019t take hours or tons of practice to start gaining the benefits of this calming exercise. You can reap all the mind-soothing rewards in as little as five minutes, says David Denis, a Toronto-based naturopathic doctor, psychotherapist and mediation expert. And perhaps most surprising? Meditating doesn\u2019t always mean sitting somewhere quiet with your eyes closed.<\/p>\n
What you\u2019re doing when you meditate, in whatever form, is stepping out of your day long enough to reorient your mind and body, says Denis. \u201cThis allows you to return with renewed perspective, focus and energy, instead of just being stuck in a cycle of stress.\u201d<\/p>\n
Here, Denis offers three simple ways to add some meditative time to your day.<\/p>\n
Take stock.<\/strong> At day\u2019s end, write down everything you did: brushing your teeth, making school lunches, commuting, meetings, the gym, phone calls. Next to each, write whether the activity was replenishing, depleting or neutral. Some things will be obvious, while moments that nourish may surprise you\u2014such as the sight of that neatly packed lunch or the daily hellos you exchange at the coffee shop. The goal is to insert more nourishing moments into your days, while turning depleting ones around (you can\u2019t avoid the commute, but you can make it more calming by swapping talk radio for a book on tape or a podcast).<\/p>\n Schedule a mini meditation.<\/strong> Get comfortable wherever you are (sitting in your office chair or standing in your kitchen, for instance), and check in with your mental state. What thoughts or emotions are present right now? Next, check in with your body, head to toe. Where are you feeling tension? Try to release it. Finally, focus on your breath. Doing so \u201cdisrupts your mind and allows you to shift perspective,\u201d says Denis. When you\u2019re done, give yourself a moment to answer these questions: \u201cWhat do I need right now, and how can I integrate it into my day?\u201d It might just give you the boost you need to tackle the next meeting, the trip home, or whatever else is next on your agenda.<\/p>\n Get out of your head and onto your feet. <\/strong>For many of us, the day is spent more in our heads than it is in touch with our physical bodies. One way to get out of your head is to be aware of your feet on the ground (either at your desk or while taking a walk). \u201cYour feet are farthest from your head, so actually try to feel the pressure of the different parts of your feet on the ground,\u201d says Denis. If you\u2019re walking, take notice of how your weight shifts from foot to foot. Match your breath to your steps or movements.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" If you\u2019re feeling stressed out, a little meditation may be just what you need. It doesn\u2019t take hours or tons of practice to start gaining the benefits of this calming exercise. You can reap all the mind-soothing rewards in as little as five minutes, says David Denis, a Toronto-based naturopathic doctor, psychotherapist and mediation expert. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[76],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8555","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-mind-and-spirit-uk"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\r\n