One of the biggest aversions to meditation that I hear is that it is too hard to stay focused on the breath. That thought seems to be synonymous around the globe. People attempting to meditate simply give up, or worse, never even try it out of fear of not being able to calm their mind and focus on just their breath. What if I told you there was an easier way than sitting cross-legged in a quiet room? What if there were some sneakier ways to begin to meditate.
Meditation is having the ability to focus on one singular thing/task. One Buddhist monk once said, “Eating an orange can be a meditation”. You simply focus on every aspect of eating the orange. From peeling it to how it feels in your hands to how it tastes each bite. Let me give you a few more examples. Prayer is meditation when you are focused solely on your words. Walking in outside is meditation when you are focused on one sound, then another, then another. Similar to the orange example above, eating any food can be meditation when you’re focused on that specific food. I could continue but I think you get the point. ANYTHING you do with a relaxed breath and intentional focus can be meditation, and don’t worry, when your mind begins to wander, simply follow it to the next thing you can focus on all while maintaining that same relaxed breath.
Now it’s time for you to give meditation another try, or start for the first time, with a bit of a different mindset and focus going into it. Get creative and have some fun!