How to Meditate in a Hurry

How to Meditate in a Hurry

I wrote this long ago when I was talking with a friend, who was sharing all the things that had to be done. And then, realizing he was talking to a meditation teacher, no doubt, he said “You ought to write an article on how to meditate in a hurry.”

And the more I thought of it, the more I realized that I might have meditated a lot longer ago if someone had offered it like that.

I was always needing to move onto the next thing and could not see what possible benefit could come from slowing down, much less stopping. And why in the world should I tune into my body?!

I am now, many years later, reading this, and have now spent over 20 years helping people integrate meditation & mindfulness into their lives - in practical and deep ways. So, while there are other things I might now say or encourage, if you just did this, it could do the trick.

So here you go:

So here’s How to Meditate in a Hurry:

1. STOP. Just for a brief second. A second won’t make that big of a different in whatever you are doing. Maybe even 5 seconds. Simply stop. Dead in your tracks.

2. Close your eyes & BREATHE. Feel your body and take a good deep breath in as if you can feel the oxygen satisfying the body. You can tune into the sensations of breathing, if you like.

3. Let thoughts go, just FOCUS on the BODY. What do you FEEL right now? That includes touches, pressure of body in chair, feet on floor – as well as physical sensations associated with emotions. (This helps you let go of those thoughts, as it also brings you into the present moment.)

4. DON’T try to CHANGE or JUDGE whatever you feel, just breathe & feel it with acceptance, without resistance. Let go of how you think things should feel – and really notice what you do feel in this moment.