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I posted this a couple of years ago, but thought I'd share in case anyone was interested. IMO, it's a key skill to have.
Set aside some time for yourself. 10 minutes at least. Others suggest 20, but time isn't really important. In fact, it's best if you can forget about time. But... if you've got a hectic schedule, and that's one of the things stressing you out, then it can be very freeing. Find 10 minutes for yourself. It's really not that much. And make those 10 minutes stress-free. No obligations. Just time to do nothing but relax. It'll do you a lot of good.
Sit down. Someplace quiet and comfortable. Or you can lie down, if that works better for you.
Close your eyes. Tune everything out.
Open your mind. Whatever is there... let it go. If thoughts come, let them drift away. Don't hold on to them. Don't wonder about them. Just let your mind drift.
Take in a nice deep cleansing breath. All your negative emotions - stress, anger, worry - gather them up.
Exhale. Slow and easy. All the bad things, whatever's on the surface, whatever you've got... let them go. They're reactions. They come from within you. They are a product of your own mind. You are the only thing keeping them there. And they are hurting you, and the people around you. They are not the enemy. Fighting them will only make things worse. Instead... open your mind and let them go. You don't need them. Not now. Like the thoughts, all you have to do is let them drift away.
The more deeply-rooted ones will take time. That's fine. Let yourself decompress. Let them ease their way out. Don't rush them. Don't hold on to them. Don't think about what they are. All you have to do is let them go.
Breathe in. Take in the fresh, clean air.
Breathe out. Let whatever is on your mind go.
That's all there is to it. It's so simple, but it can be so hard to learn. How not to fight. How not to hold on to it all. How to let it slip away, like so much sand through your fingers. We let it all build up. We let it get to us. And it can be a lot harder than you'd expect to learn to stop, take a deep breath, and let it go. But it's only as hard as you make it. It gets so much easier with practice.
There's no mystery to it. No mystical power words. The mantras, the physical positions, the elaborate techniques... they're just window dressing. There to help you focus on the task at hand... which is not to focus on anything at all.
All you have to do is learn to let it all go. Until you're left with nothing. Just... zen.
If you can do that, then you'll find something truly precious. Something that will let you float through the most hectic of times.
Peace.
Set aside some time for yourself. 10 minutes at least. Others suggest 20, but time isn't really important. In fact, it's best if you can forget about time. But... if you've got a hectic schedule, and that's one of the things stressing you out, then it can be very freeing. Find 10 minutes for yourself. It's really not that much. And make those 10 minutes stress-free. No obligations. Just time to do nothing but relax. It'll do you a lot of good.
Sit down. Someplace quiet and comfortable. Or you can lie down, if that works better for you.
Close your eyes. Tune everything out.
Open your mind. Whatever is there... let it go. If thoughts come, let them drift away. Don't hold on to them. Don't wonder about them. Just let your mind drift.
Take in a nice deep cleansing breath. All your negative emotions - stress, anger, worry - gather them up.
Exhale. Slow and easy. All the bad things, whatever's on the surface, whatever you've got... let them go. They're reactions. They come from within you. They are a product of your own mind. You are the only thing keeping them there. And they are hurting you, and the people around you. They are not the enemy. Fighting them will only make things worse. Instead... open your mind and let them go. You don't need them. Not now. Like the thoughts, all you have to do is let them drift away.
The more deeply-rooted ones will take time. That's fine. Let yourself decompress. Let them ease their way out. Don't rush them. Don't hold on to them. Don't think about what they are. All you have to do is let them go.
Breathe in. Take in the fresh, clean air.
Breathe out. Let whatever is on your mind go.
That's all there is to it. It's so simple, but it can be so hard to learn. How not to fight. How not to hold on to it all. How to let it slip away, like so much sand through your fingers. We let it all build up. We let it get to us. And it can be a lot harder than you'd expect to learn to stop, take a deep breath, and let it go. But it's only as hard as you make it. It gets so much easier with practice.
There's no mystery to it. No mystical power words. The mantras, the physical positions, the elaborate techniques... they're just window dressing. There to help you focus on the task at hand... which is not to focus on anything at all.
All you have to do is learn to let it all go. Until you're left with nothing. Just... zen.
If you can do that, then you'll find something truly precious. Something that will let you float through the most hectic of times.
Peace.
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From:
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1) I like the idea of meditating, it's relaxing, stress-reducing, and the few times I took yoga classes the quiet still periods at the end were my favorite. And I should remember to incorporate this kind of thing into my days.
2) ... which is not to focus on anything at all
I have ADHD... every day is a meditation day (holding onto thoughts & such takes *effort* for me)!! LOL!
From:
no subject
2. lol, that works. Kinda.* But I like your perspective. :)
*Of course, meditation is about aiming for (near-)zero activity, rather than hyperactivity. But I don't mean to ruin the joke. And yeah, it probably does give you a head start, in a funny way.