By Briana and Dr. Peter Borten
Everywhere we look today we see signs of our human overconsumption. From Black Friday to giant food portions to mailboxes stuffed with catalogues. You may be able to fend off the temptation to consume most of these material goods, but have you ever stopped to think how you subject your mind to mental overconsumption? Do you tend to cook meals with the TV on? Or keep the iPad next to your bed? Or check your phone repeatedly through the day for texts?
About 20 years ago, when we first began dabbling in videography, we learned that you should change the camera angle every 10 seconds so that the viewer doesn’t get bored. Nowadays, the standard is half that. Our brains are locked in overdrive. The problem is, hyperconsumption and hyperstimulation are addictive. They infringe on almost everything. All at once, a life without our addiction suddenly starts to seem bland.
The best way to reset the brain from this glut of stimulation is through meditation. It’s well-known that a meditation practice promotes mental clarity, helps with stress reduction, improves mental focus and allows for better sleep. But how do you tear yourself away from all the noise and reconnect with who you really are?
We know it took us several tries to get beyond randomly dabbling with meditation before we truly became committed. Having the occasional closed-eye thinking session didn’t seem like the point at all. But once we made the leap from knowing how meditation could benefit our lives to actually doing it, the real growth and spiritual wellness happened.
To get started, try out this simple breathing technique that can help quiet your mind and ease you into meditation:
- Meditate for a single breath.Don’t do anything special to prepare — just close your eyes and bring your focus to your breath.
- Go inside your breathing.Instead of following your own thoughts like you usually do, just “watch” what happens as you inhale and then exhale.
- Simply pay attention.Don’t manipulate anything or try to achieve anything. Just pay attention to your breath for one inhale and exhale, and then open your eyes.
- Incorporate mindful breathing into your day.How would you feel about making a commitment to do that about once an hour? That’s all I recommend you ask of yourself for now. Even if you decide to do this only once a day, just make it something you know you can succeed at.
Meditation is one of the greatest forms of medicine for your body, mind and soul. As you deepen your meditation practice, your commitment will come from seeing the incredible benefits of journeying on this path.
Briana Borten and Dr. Peter Borten are the authors of the new book, Rituals for Transformation: 108 Day Journey to Your Sacred Life (The Dragontree 2017). They are also the creators of the Rituals of Living online community and Dragontree, a holistic wellness brand. Briana is a Mastery Coach with an extensive background in coaching clients to help them reach personal breakthrough and mastery. Peter is a doctor of Asian medicine who helps people attain whole health of body and mind. He has authored hundreds of articles, spanning topics such as stress, emotional wellness, nutrition, fitness, and our connection with nature. Learn more at: www.thedragontree.com.