Meditation has been an almost daily practice of mine for more than a year now. I feel like it has helped me in ways that I couldn’t have possibly imagined. One of the examples of the benefits of meditation is my reaction to external stimulus. 

I have recently experienced a person that personally attacked some of my most treasured core values through some very harsh words. Instead of reacting in old and tired patterns and letting this ruin my month, I immediately looked inward and asked the question, “Are these words an accurate reflection of me or of him?” My reaction to this was that his opinion was a waste of my time and there was no need to give it any more thought. I’ve spent a total of 15 minutes absorbing these words.

For the sake of making this world a better place, my hope is that all of you would integrate mediation into each of your days. If you have never meditated, here is how you get started with the most basic practice:

1. Find a quiet place to sit
2. Put on some soft music or a guided mediation (or sit quietly)
3. Close your eyes and get ready for the flood of thoughts
4. Don’t try to force your mind into quiet. Just watch your thoughts. Acknowledge them without getting involved and place your focus back into quiet
5. Repeat step 4 for the duration of the practice

You can set an intention at the beginning of your meditation, but remember that you may be disappointed if you are seeking immediate goals. Some days are extremely challenging and frustrating and some just flow like a river. Every sit is different.

Recommendations: Scott Schwenk has amazing guided meditations