I’ve heard a lot about the benefits of meditating and have not  been able to quite get the hang of it.  Sitting still and quieting my mind for 20 minutes a day sounds simple but I have not been able to get there.  My mind wanders I start thinking about my to do list and I’m constantly opening my eyes checking the clock.  I figured I just wasn’t quite wired for it.  Just like I’m not wired with the ability to dance.

A week ago I sat down to watch Wheel of Fortune, a favorite 30 minute guilty pleasure and as I flipped the channel I caught the beginning of the Dr. Oz show featuring Deepak Chopra.  Now I did not watch the entire show but caught the part about how meditating for only 5 minutes a day would be beneficial.  Five minutes?  Now that’s the kind of meditation I can manage.  (Click here for a demonstration on some meditation techniques by Deepak Chopra.)

So on Sunday night I get ready for bed and I settle into my mediation pose.  The tricky part for me is to re-focus my thoughts so I just think of my breathing.  In and out.  In and out.  When my to-do list dances across my mind I move it aside and go back to my breathing.   I peek at the clock a few times and then my 5 minutes are done.   I continue the practice the next night and on the third night I find that it’s easier to settle in to my breathing and not become distracted.  I still peek at the clock because in my pea brain, a minute sometimes feels like an eternity, but I keep going back into my breathing. 

The jury is still out on whether I’m calmer, more focused or less stressed, but I figure if it’s worked for Deepak, it can ultimately work for me.

Now go run!

Keli 🙂