Breathe in. Breathe out. Be aware of it.
There. You just meditated.
Following the journey of each breath makes me aware of how I’m breathing. The awareness of how I’m breathing reminds me to take deep, natural, belly breaths. It makes me aware of the life-giving oxygen spreading to and nourishing all the organs, muscles, and cells in my body.
It reminds me that there is a dynamic life force continuously working on my behalf, whether I focus on it or not. It allows me to see and feel how interconnected we all are.
The longer I meditate, the calmer my body-mind, and nervous system become. With each mindful breath, my perspective of life expands. It’s as if I’m ascending the CN Tower elevator and getting a wider perspective of the world around me. My worries and stresses become smaller.
It’s not a task that takes time away from more important and pressing needs. It is the action that gives me the ability to mindfully take care of all my tasks and pressing needs.
There’s a story about Mahatma Gandhi that when he knew he had and extra busy and intense day, he’d make sure he meditated longer in the morning so he could accomplish all the work ahead of him, and do it with the attention it deserved.
Meditation grounds me. It deepens my awareness of what is happening around me and within me. It deepens my compassion, which is necessary because I’m more aware of what is happening around me and within me.
Through the ages, we’ve been given the impression that meditation is only for certain groups of people. You know, like yogis, monks, or CEOs.
One of my goals is to demystify meditation and erase the notion that it is either difficult or exclusive. It’s a skill that can be practiced and the ability to do it is pre-loaded into each of us.
So, if you believe you can’t meditate, or you don’t have time to meditate, or that you’re not the kind of person who meditates, then don’t.
Instead, breathe in. Breathe out. Be aware of it. And repeat.
Farhad is Co-Founder and Mindfulness Facilitator at Beyond Binary Consulting.
He is the author of Orientation: For the Journey of a Lifetime
