You can hardly get through the day lately without hearing something about the benefits of mindfulness or meditation. The definition of mindfulness I reference is this one: “the intentional, accepting and non-judgmental focus of one’s attention on the emotions, thoughts and sensations occurring in the present moment.” Easier said than done.
How Much Time Do You Really Need?
Personally, I relied on yoga as a form of meditative practice for a decade. Actual sitting meditation came in fits and starts, as I could never stick with it for long. Until, that is, I read 8 Minute Meditation by Victor Davich.
The simple premise and helpful guided practices in this quick read made mediation accessible. Trying to find the time, presence and strong back needed to sit for twenty minutes at a time was overwhelming. But eight mintues? That was doable.
Then life got complicated as it often does, and even eight minutes seemed too much.
So, I ratcheted it down to five minutes a day. I made this last-ditch effort to instill a daily meditation practice after listening to a Yoga International podcast wherein editor Kat Hedburg said that meditating for five minutes a day was better than meditating for an hour once a week. I gave it a shot. And for the first time ever I have sustained a daily meditation practice.
Mindful Alternatives to Meditation
Will it extend to a ten-minute or twenty-minute daily practice? I don’t know, and I’m not beating myself up about it. Instead I’m patting myself on the back for the accomplishment I have made maintaining a 5 -minute daily practice, and we’ll see how it goes.
For those who cannot or will not commit to a sitting practice (trust me, I can relate), I refer you to Mark Sisson of MarksDailyApple.com for great ideas on alternatives to seated meditation. Mark’s theory is that meditation is our substitute for the mindfulness our ancestors practiced naturally as a result of much more time spent outdoors in nature. Accordingly, several of his alternatives to mediation are outdoor activities.
I have to agree with Mark. When I think of long lazy days spent on the beach, I think of how I tune in completely to the sand, sun, horizon, and the sound of the waves crashing on the beach in steady rhythm. Paddling down the Itchetucknee River tunes me in to the leaves rustling in the trees, the myriad birds crossing my path, and the mesmerizing clear blue water.
But when these activities cannot fit in to my 16 hour days, then meditation it will have to be. And five minutes is better than none.
