Image by Sage Friedman

As an active person, the practice of meditation is not something that comes easily to me. I tend to find my flow in exercise and activity. However neuroscience points to the physical and psychological benefits of quietening the mind in gentler ways than tackling a 6b route on the climbing wall and so I maintain an on/off relationship with meditation.

Admittedly last year, it was decidedly more off than on, so at the beginning of January I committed to a free Morning Meditation Challenge on Insight Timer to re-establish a habit that I know is beneficial but is often put aside in favour of more active pursuits (like hanging out washing!) . With short, daily 10 minute guided meditations from people such as Ariana Huffington, Alexandra Elle, Wim Hof and Jack Kornfield, this challenge has reconnected me with a powerful daily practice and allowed me to try ways of meditating that I wouldn’t have explored otherwise.

Committing to a challenge works for me as a way of bringing about change or introducing new behaviours but a structured approach is not for everyone, so here are a couple of suggestions to get you started with meditation in just a few minutes at any time of day.

1. Decide to spend just 2 minutes sitting in stillness instead of hurrying past every-time you find yourself in your favourite spot in your home. Sit on the bench, chair, windowsill, floor or bed and get still. Focus your mind on observing your breath or watching the second hand of a clock or watch.

2. Close your eyes and tune into a noise you can hear right now, a sink draining, a clock ticking, a car passing the window, the gentle hum from your laptop and then follow the sound until you can’t hear it any more or until you chose to shift your attention to something else.

When was the last time you thought about breathing?

In our rushed, overpacked world many of us are happy to simply let our body do its work and trust that the breathe in, breathe out thing is under control. But when was the last time you really thought about your breathing?

I encourage you to stop reading and take a moment to check in with your body.

• Are you breathing from your chest and upper body or from your belly?

• Are your shoulders at your ears as you breathe or are they where nature intended?

• Is your breathing short and shallow or deep and long?

Becoming aware of how we are breathing is the first step to making your breathing work better for you. Breathing consciously, rather than automatically, brings many benefits to mind and body:

1. Deep breathing improves our respiratory system

   Breathing from the belly opens up the chest, relaxes the diaphragm and primary breathing muscles and enables a more relaxed posture…..it’s very difficult to breathe from the belly and keep your shoulders at your ears at the same time…try it!

2. Deep breathing calms the nervous system

   Shallow breathing means that we are restricting the amount of oxygen being taken in. Our bodies read this lack of oxygen as the result of us being scared - freezing and holding our breath, or running from something, struggling to get oxygen into our lungs. In turn this triggers stress hormones to flood into our systems to help us fight, hide from or flee the perceived foe. The result of continued shallow breathing? A nervous system that is always on high alert. Do your body a favour, stop and breathe.

3. Deep breathing calms the mind

   The very act of becoming consciously aware of your breathing is at the heart of mindfulness and meditation. When you are truly focused on the sensation of breathing in and out, you slow down thoughts that otherwise whirl in our minds unchecked generating overwhelm and anxiousness. When we breathe deeply we increase our intake of oxygen to the brain, helping improve clarity, creativity and centred-ness.

Make time to breathe…

Image by @Charlesz

It’s all too easy to forget to breathe deeply in the daily hustle and bustle. Overcome this by:

• setting an alarm on your mobile phone with the label, “BREATHE” .

• When the alarm goes off take 2 mins to become conscious of your breathing, breathe deeply and fully.

Your body and mind will thank you.