In my opinion, meditation is an amazing practice. It has greatly reduced my overall stress and prepared me to deal with anxieties. But like Duolingo, the NYT Games, or a workout routine, the phrase from Bojack Horseman resonates: “Every day it gets a little easier. But you gotta do it every day, that’s the hard part”. Having gotten into and fallen out of past meditation routines, meditation can be difficult to keep up with consistently. However, the base tools you learn from meditation are invaluable.
There are two types of meditation: active and passive. Active meditation is probably what you are imagining when reading this article: I would change into comfortable clothes, spread out a Yoga mat, turn the lights off, put some candles on, and listen to relaxing music. I highly recommend everyone find a few active meditation classes to get the basics down. You can find a great free class every Friday at 11 am in the University Chaplaincy next to Potterrow. But while active meditation is a great way to start up a routine, it can be time-consuming. In my case, I have a seminar starting at 11 am on Friday. This is where passive meditation comes in handy.
Passive meditation is what you do to calm the mind and body down in everyday situations. We can passively meditate anytime, anywhere. The ultimate purpose of meditation is to clear your mind. Mastering your breathing is the bedrock of all successful meditations. Boxed breath is a great start: Sit up straight. Close your eyes. Inhale through your nose for four seconds. Hold for four seconds. Exhale from your mouth for four seconds. Hold for four. Repeat.
After enough practice, I have meditated on trains, while running, and at my desk in the library (though I have yet to try it while clubbing). I especially like integrating meditation while I stretch or do Yoga and use meditation playlists for better immersion.
One practice I have learned from YouTube has proved very useful for me: sit or lie down with your eyes closed. Take deep breaths in and out. Imagine your brain is being massaged in a fluid. That fluid is your favourite colour, your favourite sensation, and your favourite temperature.
Whenever I do this, I imagine a cloudy orange-purple foam that’s roughly the same temperature as a greenhouse in a botanic garden. This sensation I feel comes in waves. I start at the back of my head, let it retract, rise to the top, let it retract, and rise to the front of my head and around again until my brain fully feels the sensation. I have done this many times at the library during essay writing- and even as I just wrote this paragraph!
Once you’ve practised meditation enough, you can use it anytime, anywhere. Even if you don’t meditate every day, it’s a skill you can use to give yourself peace of mind and clear away stress. After doing it enough, you’ll be able to meditate without even knowing you did!
Photo by Masaaki Komori on Unsplash
