Meditation is exercise for our mind and souls. 

For busy executives running from meeting to meeting, constantly replying to a flurry of whats apps, dealing with global time zones, constantly boarding and de boarding flights, the stress leads to health problems, anxiety, loss of vitality and burnout.

Meditation is one of the answers.

In just 10-15 minutes a day, you can learn to centre yourself, become mindfully present in every meeting, have better relationships with others and learn to become better human beings.

So how can we learn to practice meditation.

1. Motivation – like any exercise, this needs 10-15 minutes daily. For you to commit this you must have inner motivation to do so. Hence find a quiet place and reflect on the following

• Is your life the way you want it to be ?
• Are there areas where u can make it better ?
• Are you able to calmly deal with all challenges that come your way ?
• Is change desirable ?
• Is change possible ?

From here find the reasons why you need to get better and improve – it may be to become more focused, find more peace of mind, sleep better at night, recover your health or something else. Reflect on that. This is your motivation to wake up and practice meditation. 

2. Place and Posture – Just as a flame cannot be lit in a storm, mediation cannot be practiced in an environment constantly trying to challenge and distract you. Find a quiet place in home or somewhere outside, even a park bench. Now to begin cross your legs into a comfortable seated position. Arch your back straight as if it is a stack of gold coins on top of another. Notice yourself. You must not slouch and fall forward – if so lean back. You must not be so rigid as to cause yourself discomfort. Be alert. This is the posture for meditation.

3. Observe your breath – Notice your breath as it goes out and comes in. keep all attention on this breath. As you do so you will become more centered. If it helps you can count one for breathe in and two for breathe out. You may see a thought appear. Notice it and then come back to the breath. As you practice distractions will be lesser and lesser over time.  do so for a few minutes everyday till it becomes an easy habit. You can also do this in the middle of your day anytime. 

4. Meditate on self – Another practice is to sit and quiet down. Close your eyes. Notice your body as if an invisible scan is taking place. Start with your feet, move to your legs, your hands, torso, neck, mouth, eyes, head. Notice how each part feels and spend time with it. Again distracting thoughts will appear. Notice them and come back to your practice.

5. Compassion Meditation – Here close your eyes. Imagine a child or a pet who you love dearly come up to you. See them look at you happily and smile. Now embrace them with the deepest love you feel. Feel this feeling and bring it to your heart. Now take this feeling and feel it deeply. Now see it radiate out to the whole world reaching every being in the universe. Everything and everyone it touches becomes full of love and happiness. You can make these specific about individuals as well. You can also see people in pain, distress and difficulty and watch it melt away and compassion from you comes to them.

Practice these daily. For 10-15 minutes. You will grow in concentration, in compassion, in focus, in productivity dramatically.