This meditation exercise is for anyone who struggles to concentrate, focus or stay patient with other people or in day to day life. You might also find this exercise useful if you’ve tried meditating before but found it difficult not to concentrate on your thoughts and outside distractions. If you live in a city, this meditation is great as it helps to calm tired minds that are over stimulated from traffic, adverts, chatter and other background noises.
Meditation benefits
This meditation exercise will help you to feel more relaxed, focused and mindful. Over time, when practised regularly, you should feel more patient with others and in day to day life. Irritating hiccups won’t get to you as much and life will seem less of an uphill struggle.
Duration
Practise this meditation exercise for 10 minutes every day for 30 days. If you live in the city, the morning might be the best time as there will be fewer distractions.
1. Find a quiet place to meditate
Chances are you live in a city, but even so, try to find a comfortable, quiet place where you won’t be distracted easily. You can sit either cross legged on a cushion, or on a chair with your feet flat on the floor. Just make sure your posture is good, your back is straight and you feel relaxed. Practising in a calm, clutter free place will help you to feel more relaxed.
2. Focus on your breath
Start the meditation by closing your eyes and breathing in and out through your nose. Focus on counting each out breath. You can do blocks of 10 breaths for 10 minutes.
3. Make a note of your thoughts/ outside distractions
Rather than trying to stop your thoughts or getting frustrated when you lose your concentration on your breath — observe and make a note of any outside distractions or thoughts instead.
Over time, when you practise this meditation exercise regularly you should hopefully see a difference in your behaviour and irritability levels.
Photography: Mike Hudson
