If you are following this blog you have seen many examples of how the benefits of meditation are enhancing peoples lives. You have also heard me say before that peoples biggest excuse not to meditate is that they do not have enough time. How many minutes every day do you sit in front of the TV, on Facebook or surfing the web? Most who say they do not have the time just need to prioritize what it is that they are doing with their time. We have looked at some active meditations in previous blog posts that take as little as 2-3 minutes that you can work in to your day and will offer many benefits. Sometimes these active meditations can be used as a gateway to building a more in depth meditation practice.

3 Meditation Relaxation Exercises Lung Breathing First, start by establishing a deep relaxed breath. Inhale and bring in as much air as possible without making yourself tight. Then exhale and let yourself melt releasing every ounce of tension in your body. This exercise can be done either standing or sitting in an up-right position. Make sure to maintain a good posture and don’t let yourself collapse as you move into deeper relaxation. Click Here to learn More About Meditation for Relaxation! Now after you have found your rhythm and your breathing is smooth start to roll your shoulders. First, focus on breathing into the back sides of the lungs by inhaling as your shoulders are circling up and back. Having the shoulders in the rear position will release tension across the back of the lungs giving them more room to expand and contract. Do this for at least 6-12 slow deep breaths. Next change direction, focusing on breathing into the front sides of the lungs. This time roll the shoulders forward and down as you inhale. Do this 6-12 times with a slow relaxed breath.   Spine Conditioning This exercise can be done in either a standing or sitting position as well. Begin by finding a deep relaxed breath. Then on your inhale start at the base of the spine […]

Are your days fulfilling? I do not mean did you run ten miles, meditate, put out fires at work and respond to all of your emails. If this sounds familiar it may be time to take another look at what is really important to you and your happiness. Of course we all need money to survive and work is often a necessity, but you are not identified by your job and your daily to-do’s. If those around you can only describe you by your work and what you have accomplished with your career you are never going to have deep fulfilling relationships. All to often we get caught up in our careers and neglect those around us thinking that we are doing what is best for ourselves and our loved ones but in reality we are slowly drifting apart.   So why is this so common? Why do so many of us neglect what we are truly passionate about? Do past failures haunt you? Does tomorrow’s uncertainty make you worry? Or do the problems of today overwhelm you?   If left unattended living this life style will eat you up and leave you with little to smile about. This is why it is so important to have actionable practices that keep us in check. If you do not have the […]