How to Meditate in 10-Minutes
How to Meditate in 10-Minutes
And why it doesn't have to take long to enjoy the lasting benefits of meditation.
Despite what many think, meditation doesn't have to take long.
Even 10-minutes is enough to see immediate:
Changes in your perspective.
Boosts in your mood and energy.
Clarity in your focus and awareness.
The problem is, most people’s lives are complicated.
And meditation just becomes something else that complicates life.
Instead, today I’ll teach you a way to make meditation simple.
So, the more complicated your life becomes, the more you can lean on a simple practice that works for you.
This is the practice I recommend everyone do daily that only takes 10 minutes.
Here’s it is so you can screenshot / re-stack it:
Four Deep Breaths (1 minute)
Gratitude & Appreciation (2 minutes)
Forgiveness (1 minute)
Loving Kindness (3 minutes)
Visualization (3 minutes)
Have time now to learn how to do each stage?
It only takes 5 minutes to learn.
So, read this guide once and you’ll be able to reference the steps to guide yourself in this quick but effective meditation.
And, if you want help being consistent with this practice, start using my Wisdom Planner. It’s free here:
Step 1: Four Deep Breaths
Time: 1-minute
Each meditation starts the same way: breathing.
Why?
Because it’s faster than trying to think yourself to peace.
Instead, use deep breathing as your signal that your meditation has started, and shift your body before your mind.
Breath is the most direct link to your nervous system and how you feel in this moment, beyond your state.
The most important detail to these Four Deep Breaths is to make each exhale twice as long as each inhale.
Like this:
4-second inhale
3-second hold
8-second exhale
In the hold-between, you’re simply holding onto your breath before exhaling.
That makes each breath a total of 15-seconds.
Repeat this cycle for a total of 4 breaths and then shift your focus to the next step.
Step 2: Gratitude & Appreciation
Time: 2-minutes
Now that you're centered, it’s going to be easier to direct your mind and charge yourself positively.
The easiest way to do that is to focus on being grateful for 3 different things.
What you choose to be grateful for can be as simple and small as gratitude for your glass of water. Your home, family, friends.
There's plenty to be grateful for, so choose a mix.
And when you think of one, focus on the feeling of what it's like to be grateful for this.
Focus on the impact it/they has/have on your life, and how that makes you feel.
Then appreciate them.
This second step to gratitude, appreciation, is the most important.
You do this by focusing on the feeling of gratitude in your body, in your chest.
Then imagine what it would feel like if you were 3x as grateful for it.
As if the feeling of gratitude expanded beyond you and your body.
And sitting with that feeling for a few moments.
Do this 3 times in total.
Noticing the differences in the feeling between your different gratitudes and the differences when they multiply as you appreciate them.
Step 3: Forgiveness
Time: 1-minute
Next, set your intention to forgive others and yourself.
This can be unusual at first, but give it a try.
Specifically, think of those who have harmed you, slighted you, or even slightly agitated you.
Many struggle with forgiveness at this stage, because they believe that in order to forgive someone or something, they have to actually be over it, or that in forgiving this person or instance they have to admit they were hurt—when really, it’s no big deal.
The point of this exercise is to forgive even if what happened doesn’t ‘need’ forgiveness.
It’s not about justifying your feelings or reactions.
This is just a time to go out of your way and forgive them.
Let go of all the little bite-sized grudges that have built up over time.
Forgive everything and everyone that comes to mind.
And lastly, forgive yourself.
For anything that comes to mind.
Not that you need forgiveness, or that it's even required.
Just go out of your way in this moment to provide yourself grace today.
And create a willingness to do new things and old things in new ways.
Step 4: Loving Kindness LKM
Time: 3-minute
This next phase of the meditation comes from the Buddhist tradition and is also known as Metta meditation.
The purpose of this stage is to become even more positively charged, and also to expand that intention from yourself, to others, to all.
This expansion of consciousness at this stage can help you shift the focus of your meditation from the self to others.
And the way it's taught is to bring to mind this phrase and the feeling of each word:
"May I be happy, may I be well, may I be comfortable, and may I be at peace."
While thinking this, imagine yourself, feel each word, and repeat this phrase to yourself 3 times.
Then, continue by shifting your focus to others, thinking,
"May we be happy, may we be well, may we be comfortable, and may we be at peace."
This time, bringing to mind everyone around you, your family, your friends, your community.
Last,
"May all beings be happy, may all beings well, may all beings be comfortable, and may all beings be at peace."
Expanding this intention outward, through your city, country, continent, and even the planet.
Viewing all of life on Earth from space.
You can replace "happy, well, comfortable, and at peace" with qualities or characteristics that you want to affirm in your life today.
Qualities that you want more of for yourself, and for others.
They can be the same, a mix, or entirely new.
No wrong answers here.
Step 5: Visualization
Time: 3-minutes
The last phase of this meditation routine involves visualizing your day following this moment forward.
Imagine yourself standing up from where you are and going into what you intend to do after reading this post.
Imagine it all going as well as possible. Imagine how you will feel during it, and the look on your face as your day goes as ideally as possible.
Then imagine yourself going into the next thing. Bring to mind the other people involved. How they feel.
Continue doing this for the entirety of your day, concluding with you in your bed.
Ending with you visualizing the satisfied look on your face from a day well lived.
When you've completed this visualization of your day going the way you intend this meditation is done.
Consistency Over Intensity
Despite what many think, meditation can be short if you spend your time efficiently.
And in this meditation, you're benefiting from the best advice of modern meditation, positive psychology, and ancient wisdom and you're getting the benefits in just 10 minutes.
Practicing this routine daily for weeks can positively alter your personality and outlook on life.
And over time, help you build a better brain.
I hope you enjoyed the guide.
And if you give this meditation a try, leave a comment below to let me know how that went for you.
If you want help being consistent with this practice, start using my Wisdom Planner. It’s free here:
If you enjoyed this guide, recommend it here:
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Interesting will try it