Relax! You’ll Get More Done. How Meditation Makes You More Efficient.
Posted under alternative health, alternative therapies, natural health, natural stress relief

You may think the title to this article is contradictory.  Or irritating if you really feel you have more to do than can be accomplished in the time you have available every day.  How can I relax? I barely get it all done as it is?  It is for you that I write this, you are the perfect subject.

By relax, I mean take the time every day, as little as 5 minutes to a half hour, whatever you can manage, to relax your mind intentionally.  I’m not referring to spacing out to mindless TV or reading a book (not that there’s anything wrong with those, especially reading) but doing a meditative practice of some sort to clear your mind, to stop the random ceaseless thinking, planning, doing and take a moment to BE.  Just be.  We are, after all, human beings, not human doings.

Brain studies show that a mind in meditations is more active than a consciously thinking mind.  When you allow your mind to relax it can access that deeper part of you that has the answers you seek.  When you allow yourself to truly relax and take care of slowing down your mind and your nervous system your brain works more easily and efficiently.

There are many different ways to have a meditative experience and they do not need to include sitting cross-legged and chanting ohm (although that’s good too!). Exercise can be a meditative experience if you let it.  The important idea is to let go of thinking, let go of the steady stream of thought that you often are not even aware of.

One of the easiest and quickest ways that I know of to do this is by sitting comfortably with your spine straight and focusing on your breath going in and out of your body.  It is simple (though not always easy) and can be done anywhere. Ideally you will do this somewhere that you will not be distracted for 15 to 30 minutes.  But it can even be on an airplane where you are surrounded by people (provided you are not the pilot).  Any time you find yourself thinking about something, gently disengage your thoughts and return to your breathing. It’s OK. It will happen.  But the longer you practice the easier it will become. Pay attention to your eyes.  A lot of eye movement indicates a lot of thoughts and a turbulent mind.  Relax and breathe.
When you engage in quieting your mind this way you will be more efficient and a better problem-solver

when you return to your active life.  Things will go more smoothly, you will handle stresses better. And in these ways, you create more time for yourself.  Enjoy it and relax some more.