| p>If you've ever looked for "meditation for | | | | Transform your consciousness |
| beginners" you know that it can be an | | | | For me it begins with...a PAUSE, a BREATH, and a |
| overwhelming process of figuring how to even | | | | feeling of connection. We often run ourselves so |
| get started. Who knew that calming the mind | | | | hard and so quickly into the ground (literally!) that |
| could be so stressful? | | | | we miss the opportunities to enjoy the moments |
| A book that helped me remember that taking | | | | that make up our lives. The good news is that |
| time out of my day to reconnect with source | | | | we can start to transform our consciousness with |
| was Ekhart Tolle's book "A New Earth". More | | | | simple steps. |
| than outlining a process for simple meditation, | | | | First, I like to mentally "push" the pause button on |
| which I've included below, it highlights the reasons | | | | the stream of consciousness running though my |
| why meditating on our unity rather than isolation | | | | head. Next, I take about 45 seconds to center |
| are important for creating a better world for all | | | | myself by focusing on my breathing. |
| How can we transform our consciousness to | | | | I like to use the breathing pattern of: |
| create a better world? | | | | - inhale for 3 seconds, hold 1, exhale for 6 |
| I sometimes wonder if we as a society have | | | | seconds |
| been "evolving" as a species or just growing, | | | | - inhale for 4 seconds, hold 1, exhale for 8 |
| spreading and multiplying like a virus. Taking a | | | | seconds |
| look at the mainstream media on any given day it | | | | - inhale for 5 seconds, hold 1, exhale for 10 |
| really makes you wonder. You'll find wars, | | | | seconds |
| environmental disasters, human tragedy stories in | | | | The benefits that you can get from taking less |
| endless succession. | | | | than one minute every 30 minutes in your day |
| How did we get here? | | | | are just incredible. Personally, I am more |
| Logically, it makes sense that we should be the | | | | productive, more focused and am happier when I |
| most evolved group of humans to ever walk the | | | | remember and practice this short meditative |
| earth, having taken the wisdom and knowledge | | | | break consistently throughout the day. |
| from previous generations. And certainly we | | | | If you spend long hours at a computer, it can be |
| have made scientific and technological | | | | difficult remember to take these essential |
| breakthroughs that previous generations would | | | | escapes. On my Mac, I use Dejal's TimeOut |
| never dreamed of...so then why all the war, pain | | | | program which is currently (at the time of writing) |
| and suffering? | | | | freeware to remind me when to take short |
| Actions speak louder than words | | | | breaks and also has the added benefit of |
| I reckon that despite and perhaps because of the | | | | recommending when you should take a longer 10 |
| exponentially expanding base of knowledge we | | | | minute break. |
| have in this world our minds have become | | | | An alternative is to keep a kitchen timer handy so |
| overloaded, overwhelmed and overheated. With | | | | that you can be present in the moment of |
| so many things to worry about who has time to | | | | whatever you may be doing and then take your |
| slow down and reconnect with the "infinite" both | | | | break when the timer goes off. Regardless of |
| inside and outside? So even though we may have | | | | what method you choose, just remember to |
| the wisdom of the ages at our fingertips, we | | | | reconnect with the infinite several times a day |
| never really *feel* that we have the time to | | | | and you'll start to create a new reality in all areas |
| practice or live them. | | | | of your life. |