MESSAGE #859 MINI-MEDITATION…

One area of sports psychology is relaxation/stress reduction.

In sports and life, we reach peak performance by staying in the present moment, using relaxed focus.

Here is a mini-meditation, an ancient technique used by monks that you can use anytime, anywhere to relax, reduce stress and stay in the present moment.

Take a couple deep breaths…in through the nose for four seconds and out through the nose for four seconds, from the stomach (vs the chest).

Now just observe the rise and fall of your abdomen. Don’t force it, just observe it. Thoughts may arise, that’s okay, just accept them and go back to focusing on the rising and falling.

Continue on your own for a few moments….

Notice while you were meditating, you didn’t have many thoughts going on in your head (if you did, that just means that you need to practice)…you weren’t thinking about work. You weren’t thinking about school. You weren’t thinking about getting a goldfish.

Life moves pretty fast, but when you make time for relaxation (meditation), you will have less stress, which is the main cause of disease and sickness. When you have less stress, you will perform at a higher level, slow life down and begin to enjoy the process.

You can use this technique at work, on line at the grocery store or before you perform at Carnegie Hall.