This morning I tweeted, “meditation is detox for the mind.” I subsequently had a few people asking me what I do for meditation. My answer came as a surprise to some and was dismissed by others. ‘It can’t be that simple, surely!’ came the reply by many Type A personalities. ‘Why not, it works for me’, I responded (also a Type A).
If I had to write a book on meditation it would contain only one sentence. (Why the need to over analyse and complicate something so innate and natural?)
You see, the objective of meditation is relaxation.
Relaxation is the third branch in our Tree of Health. The other two being food and exercise of course. I have learned (the hard way) that relaxing is just as important as eating well and exercising. If you do not make time to relax, you will eventually run out of puff. Even the most successful people (in sport and business), who are passionate about their game, make time to relax.
But what I have noticed is that everyone relaxes differently. For some it may be winding down at the end of the day by reading a book. For others, a hot bath.
Many, however, find that the best way to relax is through meditation.
There are many practices of meditation. You can sit and focus on how your breath moves your stomach in and out. You can repeat a soothing word softly to yourself, which acts as a calming affirmation. You can listen to soft music or you can sit underneath the shade of a tree, listening to the sounds of nature.
For me, the best meditation is sleep. Yes, Sleep! Going to bed early and waking early keeps me calmly active and actively calm all day. Also, napping in the afternoon calms my mind and de-clutters my thinking. It’s part of my daily detox of the mind. It’s that simple!
And, I do some of my best strategic thinking after my naps.
What type of meditation works for you?