Todd Perelmuter's Blog, page 59
February 1, 2022
My Toughest, Strictest, Most Difficult Silent Meditation Retreat – Path to Peace Podcast
I’d ran into a guy in India who told me about this Vipassana retreat he’d done. He told me it was super difficult but really great. You have to wake up at 4am everyday and meditate for 12 hours a day. No phones, no reading, no talking, no writing, don’t even look other students in the eye.
Eager for real, transformative experiences, I signed up the first chance I got. It was a beautiful meditation retreat in between very small towns about an hour away from Amritsar, India.
Many students quit just a couple days in. It would prove to be the hardest, but also the most life-changing two weeks of my life.
I share meditation techniques, tips and spiritual lessons from around the world for peaceful and stress-free living. Remember to subscribe to stay up-to-date.
If you have enjoyed listening to the podcast, please share a review. It will help many others find their Path to Peace as well.
And be sure to follow Todd Perelmuter on Instagram and Twitter, and Facebook, for daily uplifting messages.
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January 30, 2022
Is There Any Alternative to Meditation? – Path to Peace Podcast
For many people in the West, just the idea of meditating is a major source of stress. People will try doing just about anything before trying “not doing,” aka meditating. Many people will say walking or swimming or dancing is their meditation. So is that really meditating? Is that equally beneficial as meditation?
In this podcast, Todd Perelmuter explores alternatives to meditation, the differences between meditation and meditative activities, and the varying benefits from each. If you’ve ever thought, “sitting still with my eyes closed sounds worse than torture,” this podcast is for you. If you’ve ever wondered about other methods that can replace meditation, this podcast is definitely for you.
I share meditation techniques, tips and spiritual lessons from around the world for peaceful and stress-free living. Remember to subscribe to stay up-to-date.
If you have enjoyed listening to the podcast, please share a review. It will help many others find their Path to Peace as well.
And be sure to follow Todd Perelmuter on Instagram and Twitter, and Facebook, for daily uplifting messages.
The post Is There Any Alternative to Meditation? – Path to Peace Podcast appeared first on EastWesticism.
January 28, 2022
What’s the Difference Between the Thinking Mind and the Meditative Mind? – Path to Peace Podcast
Ever wondered if you’re actually meditating while you’re meditating? Ever wondered what a meditative state is like? Then tune in.
In this podcast, Todd Perelmuter talks about the key differences between a meditator’s mind and a normal person’s mind. You’ll hear all the benefits a highly focused, meditative state can bring, and how to get it.
I share meditation techniques, tips and spiritual lessons from around the world for peaceful and stress-free living. Remember to subscribe to stay up-to-date.
If you have enjoyed listening to the podcast, please share a review. It will help many others find their Path to Peace as well.
And be sure to follow Todd on Instagram and Twitter, and Facebook, for daily uplifting messages.
The post What’s the Difference Between the Thinking Mind and the Meditative Mind? – Path to Peace Podcast appeared first on EastWesticism.
January 26, 2022
How to Practice Mindfulness at Work – Path to Peace Podcast
Meditation is amazing for managing our emotions, calming our mind and body, and reducing stress. But, unless it’s lunchtime, most of us can’t escape our jobs to go meditate anytime throughout the day. So the question is, how can we practice mindfulness at work.
In this episode, Todd goes into great detail about how to practice mindfulness at work, and most importantly, how to stay mindful at those really difficult times when our emotions are about to get the better of us.
Here you find practical tips for how to stay mindful and ways to remember to be mindful throughout the workday. These little reminders can help us be more focused, less stressed, and can save us from losing our temper or getting overwhelmed at work.
You can check out this video on mindfulness as well: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTPCJgvRLl4&t=4s
And be sure to follow @ToddPerel on Instagram and Twitter, and Facebook.com/ToddPerelmuter, for daily uplifting messages.
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January 25, 2022
Can Meditation Replace Sleep? – Path to Peace Podcast
When we think of health, we often just think of diet and exercise. But, as important as what we eat and how much we move is sleep. We live in a world right now where not sleeping is almost seen as a badge of honor. Unfortunately, that badge of honor comes with higher rates of obesity, Alzheimer’s disease, and so many other brain and body problems.
In this podcast, Todd responds to a common question about sleep and meditation. Meditation is incredibly restful and can make sleep feel less important. But can meditation replace sleep? Does meditation make us need less sleep? Can meditation help you sleep better? Find out the answer to all these questions and more in our latest episode of Path to Peace with Todd Perelmuter.
Todd gives tips on how to fall asleep quickly, sleep better, and stay asleep longer through the power of meditation. You’ll also hear a short instruction on how to meditate before bed to help you get to sleep.
With so many distractions in our lives, sleep and meditation have never been more important. Go to Facebook, Instagram or Twitter and let Todd Perelmuter know how meditation affects your sleep. If restless leg syndrome is one of the reasons that’s keeping you up at night, here’s a free guided meditation video on youtube that’s just for you: https://youtu.be/-fVcwEdyDio
Peace and love.
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January 23, 2022
Should I Sit in a Chair While Meditating – Path to Peace Podcast
Should I sit up straight on the floor? Can I use a chair? Can I lie in bed? Do I have to be super rigid and strict or is it ok to do it on the couch? These are some of the many questions that come up when starting out in meditation.
Here, Todd Perelmuter shares his tips for starting out, the best postures, what not to do, and how to find out what may be best for you.
I share meditation techniques, tips and spiritual lessons from around the world for peaceful and stress-free living. Remember to subscribe to stay up-to-date.
If you have enjoyed listening to the podcast, please share a review. It will help many others find their Path to Peace as well.
And be sure to follow @ToddPerel on Instagram and Twitter, and Facebook.com/ToddPerelmuter, for daily uplifting messages.
The post Should I Sit in a Chair While Meditating – Path to Peace Podcast appeared first on EastWesticism.
November 22, 2021
Why Jack Dorsey Started Meditating
We all deal with stress in our lives. Kids, mortgages, relationships, the job. Unless we have a magic wand, stressful circumstances will always show up. That’s no different whether you’re a CEO, a teacher or a busboy. So let’s find out why Jack Dorsey started meditating.
Being the CEO of a publicly traded, world-famous company can be incredibly stressful. But make that the CEO of two major companies and you’re just asking for trouble.
As CEO of both Twitter and Square Payments, he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. From investors to government regulators, from employees and also to his customers, they all depend on him. That’s a lot for anyone. Additionally for Jack, worrying about the impact Twitter has on the world makes a perfect recipe for a mental health disaster.
Many of us have heard the stories of how Jack Dorsey meditates for two hours a day. Here we’ll explore why Jack Dorsey started meditating and also how it helps him. We’ll dive into how he fits it into his busy schedule, as well as how we can all benefit from meditation.
Why Would the Man Who Has it All Meditate?
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Stress isn’t something that only the rest of us have to deal with. Like the great poet philosopher once said, “Mo money, mo problems.” The only difference between the super wealthy and everyone else is that money is not one of their problems. But they still deal with stress just like everyone else.
There’s a lot of pressure when every little decision you make could cost thousands of your employees their jobs. Or when your choices could cost your investors billions. Not to mention the pressure when your actions could upend democracy as we know it.
No matter how rich you get, relationships can get messy. Illness and death happen to everyone. And even tiny inconveniences can set you off.
In fact, the richer and more cushy our lives become, the less able we are to handle unpleasant experiences. You’d be hard pressed to find an unhoused person complaining about the temperature of their soy mocha latte. Or that there were two stevias instead of three.
The Double-Edged Sword of Wealth Caused Jack Dorsey to Start Meditating
The more efficient and pampered our lives become, the more any minor stressor becomes blown out of proportion.
As nations become wealthier and technology becomes better, we see this effect in everyone around us. A website takes an extra 3 seconds to load and we get upset. A 4-minute line at the bank and we lose it.
The screens in our pockets that will show us anything we want to see or hear instantaneously has made us all easily stressed. And also quick to anger. Just watch videos of fights on planes if you don’t believe me — the one time we have to put our phones away.
Why Meditation Can Help with This
Luckily, there is a solution for this. Meditation is the antidote to stress for many reasons. But one of those reasons is because we can’t immediately act on our impulses. Want to get pull out your phone? Too bad, you have to wait until your meditation is over. Want to impulsively snack? Can’t do it. Want to light up a cigarette or do any of the other unhealthy things we do when we’re bored? Nope.
In meditation, we retrain our mind to be patient, calm, and rise above our base impulsive instincts. We become the boss of our mind. We no longer let it’s childish, undisciplined desires rule our lives.
Instead, we simply observe our impulses and desires arise and fall away. We get become highly aware that they don’t control us and that they are only temporary. We recognize them for what they are – background chatter. It does not define who we are and through observing them, our higher intelligence can take back the reins.
How Jack Dorsey Got Started Meditating and Why He Still Does It
When Jack returned as CEO of Twitter in 2015 while still running Square, he knew he had to get serious about his health.
To manage the stress of running two companies, he took silent meditation retreats and began meditating for two hours a day. He learned vipassana meditation, which can also be called mindfulness or insight meditation.
How to Meditate Like Jack Dorsey
Vipassana consists mainly of two types of meditation: breath awareness and body scanning. Vipassana recommends starting with breath awareness meditation for a few days or weeks. Then, practitioners may move on to body scanning.
Breath Awareness Meditation
Sit on the floor with legs crossed if that is available to you. Close your eyes, breathe naturally and put your entire focus on your breath. Begin by either focusing on your expanding and contracting belly. Or, by focusing on the area from the bridge of your nose to the two corners of your lips, forming a triangle.
Feel every little subtle sensation of your breath. When your mind wanders off, gently bring your attention back to your breath. Just feel it. Make your breath your entire area of awareness.
After a couple days, your senses will heighten. Then, narrow your focus to just the Charlie Chaplin mustache area of your face, the middle part above your upper lip.
Tune into the very subtle feeling of cool air brushing by as you inhale, and warmer air coming out the exhale.
Do this for however long is right for you as you work your way up to 20 minutes or so.
Body Scanning Meditation
Now that you have laser-like focus, start this meditation the same as before. Sit on the ground (or a chair if you need to) and close your eyes.
Put all of your focus at the tippy top of your head. Imagine a grid of vertical lines covering your body from this point to your toes. Imagine each vertical line spaced an inch or two apart. In whatever order you prefer (but make sure you do the same order every time), move your focus down each line, sensing every spot of your body.
Feel your body from the inside and on the surface. Make sure you are really sensing whatever each spot is feeling. Whether it’s clothes or heat or tingling or coolness or the floor. Whatever sensation is there, just feel it.
If you can’t feel anything in a particular spot, just stay with that spot until you feel some sensation. Our nerve endings are always picking up signals and sending them to our brain. The more you do this, the more connected you will be with your body.
Move your attention down each line from the head to the toes. This will take roughly 10 to 15 minutes. Once you’ve scanned your whole body, move your focus from your toes to your head in the reverse order. This is one complete cycle. Do as many or as few as you like.
Why Jack Dorsey Started Meditating in the Morning
Let’s face it, we’re all busier than ever these days. We’ve also got great excuses not to do things. Too tired, too busy, don’t wanna… Few people are busier than Jack Dorsey. That’s why Jack Dorsey started meditating in the morning.
In the morning, our discipline is at its highest. Also, the unexpected things that come up during the day haven’t started yet. Furthermore, it’s the best time to make new habits stick.
Jack knows this firsthand. Usually, “too busy” is the most common excuse for not meditating even 10 minutes a day. But if two-time CEO Jack can do two hours, really no one else has any excuse not to fit in a few minutes every single day.
In the morning, preferably before we check our phones, our minds aren’t racing too bad yet. It’s the best time to have a deeply relaxing and powerful meditation. Distractions haven’t crept in and it’s the best way to set your day up for success.
How Can Everyone Benefit From Meditation Like Jack Dorsey
If you want to get the mental superpowers that people like Jack Dorsey have, it’s easy to get started.
Jack’s not the only one either. If they’re a genius or super talented, they probably meditate. Here’s just a few names of people who credit their success to meditation. Michale Jordan, Tom Brady, Jerry Seinfeld, George Lucas, Katy Perry, Oprah and Ariana Huffington. Plus a bunch of other billionaires you may not have even heard of.
They’ve all discovered the calm, clarity, peace and lasting joy that money just can’t buy. They’ve experienced increased energy, creativity, focus and discipline, and you can too.
To get started meditating, check out this Guide for Beginners for all the resources you’ll need.
This guided morning meditation is a great, easy, and terrific way to start your day as well.
Also, be sure to follow @toddperel on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for uplifting messages, tips and inspirations.
Check out our podcast on Spotify, iTunes or Google for answers to common questions.
And be sure to destress your inbox with our newsletter.
The post Why Jack Dorsey Started Meditating appeared first on EastWesticism.
November 8, 2021
Mantra Meditation vs. Breath Meditation: Which One Wins?
Depending on who you learn meditation from, you’re most likely going to be taught either mantra or breath meditation. Your instructor will most likely tell you that their technique is the best. But what is the truth between mantra meditation vs. breath meditation and which one is better?
I have spent thousands of hours practicing both. I’ve also pored over the scientific literature about both.
In this article I’ll give you the definitive answer about what they are, how they’re different, and which one wins.
What are Mantra Meditation and Breath Meditation?
Mantra meditation is a practice in which you sit with your eyes closed and silently repeat a mantra in your mind continuously. The mantra is usually a meaningless sound that allows your mind to focus without thinking. The most common mantra used is “Om.”
Mantra meditation creates a rare state of mind where we are fully present but not thinking. Often thoughts will pop into the mind during meditation. When this happens, we just gently bring our thoughts back to our mantra.
Breath Meditation
Breath meditation (aka breathing meditation, aka mindfulness meditation, aka vipassana meditation, aka awareness meditation, aka insight meditation) is the practice of observing your breath. Sitting with your eyes closed, you simply observe the sensations of your breath coming in and going out.
You may put your focus on your belly expanding and contracting.
Or you may put your focus on your nose and upper lip/mustache area, sensing the nostrils flaring, the nose hairs bristling, the air brushing by your upper lip, and so on.
Another method is following the whole breath starting from it coming in the nose and down the back of your throat. Then expanding your belly and coming back out. You’ll notice the cool air coming in, the warmer air coming out, the speed and depth of your breath, etc… There are infinite subtleties to become aware of as we raise our conscious awareness.
The Benefits of Mantra and Breath Meditation
While both meditation styles have countless benefits that can improve our lives, they do have some important differences.
Benefits of Mantra MeditationBy concentrating on a mantra, this type of meditation trains our mind to focus. Our patience and attention span increase as well.
With greater focus, we become more able to focus on what really matters and set aside negative thoughts. We can overcome painful pasts and focus more on the here and now.
Mantra meditation is a deeply peaceful experience that allows our body to rest, recover, and it gives us more energy afterward.
This peaceful experience creates inner joy and also helps us boost the happiness chemicals in our brain.
With more peace, fear and stress become diminished and our creativity and confidence grow exponentially.
Benefits of Breath MeditationFocusing on the breath comes with all the same benefits as mantra meditation. Peace, focus, concentration, joy, creativity, rest and recovery all take place.
Because you’re focusing on your breath instead of a mantra though, there are some differences.
In mantra meditation, we focus on a sound in our head. In breath, we observe reality as it truly is.
Through breath meditation, we become more aware of subtlety. We become more mindful and alert. Our minds become trained to be conscious of our breath. We tap into feeling beyond the mind.
Through this greater awareness, our wisdom and compassion grow. It is through practicing the power of observation without judgement that we become more identified with the awareness underlying our thoughts and experiences. We then see through the cloud of thoughts and are able to experience the true nature of reality.
Our once unconscious thoughts, habits and behaviors become conscious choices. By becoming more aware of ourselves and others, our intelligence grows. Afterall, observation is the foundation of all science.
As we become more mindful and conscious of ourselves, our words, thoughts and deeds become aligned with our highest intentions.
We can sense our subtlest emotional changes and we can witness them rather than being consumed by them.
To recap the mantra meditation vs. breath meditation score so far: mantra gives us focus. But breath gives us focus and awareness.
So is Mantra or Breath Meditation Better?
This is like asking whether a sunrise or a sunset is better. Breath and mantra are two sides of the same coin. Both have incredible benefits and are absolutely miraculous practices that have changed my life.
But, there are differences that I think are very important to know. While mantra meditation tends to be much easier, it can be much more challenging to consistently focus on your breath.
My Meditation Story
I spent years trying to develop a consistent, daily practice of breath meditation. I had done many meditation retreats and spent months in monasteries practicing. But as soon as I left those places, I stopped practicing daily meditation.
It was just too hard to practice breath meditation for me. My mind would wander. I’d get bored. My mind would scream, “This sucks!”
Then I took a mantra meditation course and I was blown away. It was very easy to keep my mind occupied with the mantra. The experience was pleasant and beautiful. Most importantly, it was something I could stick to.
And so I did mantra meditation for about 6 months straight without missing a day. I got all the benefits of focus, peace, joy, less stress. But I wanted more. I wanted mindfulness. As well as the heightened awareness I had experienced in retreats and monasteries. I wanted wisdom and self-awareness.
That’s when I started to try breath meditation and to my surprise, it was a pleasure as well. I have now been doing breath meditation consistently for several years and I know that this is the way.
Mantra Meditation vs. Breath Meditation: The Final Verdict
So who wins the mantra meditation vs. breath meditation debate? The answer is not one or the other. It’s both. Sometimes, I’ll still go back and do mantra meditation when my mind is too chaotic to focus on my breath. It’s much easier to focus the mind on one thought than it is to clear your head of all thoughts. This is why starting with mantra meditation is something we highly recommend. Once you’ve practiced focusing on one thought (mantra), you can easily progress to no thoughts (breath).
Like working out at the gym, all that matters is doing it consistently. You won’t maintain the benefits otherwise. For this reason, starting with mantra meditation is highly recommended for new meditators. If you wish to move on to breath meditation, you will be much more prepared to do so. If you wish to stick with mantra meditation, that is also wonderful as the benefits are numerous and profound.
To learn more about mindfulness, here is a great video you can watch.
Be sure to follow @toddperel on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for uplifting messages, tips and inspirations.
Check out our podcast on Spotify, iTunes or Google for answers to common questions about corporate mindfulness and meditation.
Destress your inbox with our newsletter.
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November 5, 2021
What to Expect in a Corporate Meditation Program
So what the heck is corporate meditation? Isn’t it a waste of time? Will corporate meditation turn my employees into lazy hippies? Is it just superstitions and woowoo mumbojumbo? Just what can I expect in a corporate meditation program? This article will answer these questions and more.
Work place stress is the #1 cause of stress. We bring that stress home with us and it affects us in countless ways. It can lead to anxiety and depression. Furthermore, stress can lead to heart disease, chronic pain, stroke and even death. Stress is the cause for up to 90% of all doctors visits.
That’s why there are corporate meditation programs. Corporate meditation programs don’t just help workers manage their emotions, be more engaged and present. They’ll also feel more satisfied and fulfilled at work and in their lives.
Just as a coffee break is time off that ultimately helps employees be more productive, corporate meditation helps employees destress and recharge. It helps companies save money on employee turnover, fewer sick days and higher productivity. Additionally, it helps workers be more innovative, make fewer costly mistakes, and think more clearly.
Countless peer-reviewed scientific studies all confirm the benefits of meditation. Now I’ll explain what a corporate meditation program is, what takes place, and then how your company can utilize one.
A corporate meditation program is any kind of educational opportunity for employees and executives to learn and practice meditation. This can be having a keynote speaker, a half or full day workshop, or an annual weekend retreat. Even a daily or weekly meditation class is something many companies are opting for.
What to Expect from a Corporate Meditation Keynote
A keynote will usually include explaining the root causes of workplace stress and difficulty. It will then explain the solutions for our workplace problems. There will then be some instruction on how to meditate followed by a meditation. A Q&A session will conclude the keynote.
Corporate Meditation and Mindfulness Workshops
Corporate Meditation Workshops tend to be a half-day or full-day affair. These provide for much more in depth teachings, activities, mindfulness exercises, team-building and trust-building.
Expect a few teaching topics that can then be put into practice in a variety of ways. Short meditations take place throughout the workshop. Additionally, there will be many opportunities for Q&As and group discussions.
The group exercises in workshops can also help companies overcome issues of jealousy, back-stabbing and other types of office dysfunction.
Corporate Mindfulness and Meditation Retreat
Retreats are excellent ways to really go deep and have a crash course in corporate mindfulness and meditation. Taking place offsite on beautiful grounds in luxurious resorts, retreats allow companies to really solve any kind of dysfunction in the workplace.
These 2 or 3-day retreats (can be longer) really help workers recenter, relax, recharge and refocus. There is nothing quite like extended time in nature to just focus on ourselves.
Schedules include lots of opportunities for teaching, meditation, yoga, relaxation, team bonding, Q&As, and healthy delicious food. Firstly, retreats away from the office let our bodies and mind unwind. Secondly, they allow us to heal on deep and profound levels. Thirdly, they can really boost our meditation practice and speed up our results.
What to Expect from Corporate Meditation Classes
Daily, weekly, or bi-weekly meditation classes are great ways for the whole office to get really committed to their daily meditation practice.
As the great meditation teacher Goenka said, “Continuity is the key to success.”
Classes are typically 30 minutes or an hour long in the morning, afternoon, or both. While some offices prefer them during lunch hour.
Classes consist of brief instruction followed by a 20 minute meditation. Also, the classes conclude with a brief lesson in mindfulness or inspirational, uplifting story.
Meditation classes provide opportunities for employees’ meditation practice to have a sense of community and camaraderie. They’re great for any employee who’s fallen out of the habit, and also so new hires can get started any time.
Daily practice of meditation is so important for lasting benefits. Regular classes are great ways to help achieve that. There’s really no substitute for having personal instruction.
A good meditation program will include some teachings about mindfulness. Mindfulness is the mental understanding of our thought processes and emotions. Meditation is the practice of observing those processes. Through mindfulness we learn. But through meditation, we can know it deep down because we’ve experienced it.
For example, mindfulness teachings will point out how our stress is caused by resisting a current circumstance and craving for things to be different. Meditation is the practice of simply accepting whatever comes up in our mind, and thus letting go of stress.
With meditation and mindfulness, we are learning to become experts of our own mind. Think of it like learning to play basketball. Learning the rules and the way the game is played is like mindfulness. Practicing is like meditation. You can’t get good at basketball without both learning and practicing.
While workers report back that the corporate meditation programs were fun, informative, and de-stressing, that’s actually not the goal.
The goal of a corporate meditation program is to set up employees and executives for success long after the program is over. The goal of any program is to build a solid foundation in meditation and mindfulness. Furthermore, it is to ensure that workers have a well established daily meditation practice and everything they need to keep it up.
An office that meditates together succeeds together.
Study after study shows that corporate meditation programs lead to fewer sick days, higher productivity, better culture and also better relationships. Additionally, quality goes up, stress goes down, and most importantly, profits go up.
Check out this article on how meditation lowers employee turnover rates.
It’s important to find a corporate meditation instructor that has a wide range of experience who also understands the corporate world.
Our instructor and the founder of EastWesticism, Todd Perelmuter, spent 9 years learning meditation and mindfulness from world-renowned teachers across Asia, India and South America. He also spent over a decade in NYC as a creative director at the world’s biggest ad agencies, and as a stand-up and improv comedian.
His experience in both meditation and office life, along with his comedy background, give his corporate meditation and mindfulness programs a uniquely humorous, entertaining and relatable style.
Email Hello@EastWesticism.org for a customized meditation and mindfulness program for your company.
Check out this guided meditation video for better focus and attention.
Follow @toddperel on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for uplifting messages, tips and inspirations.
Check out our podcast on Spotify, iTunes or Google for answers to common questions about corporate mindfulness and meditation.
The post What to Expect in a Corporate Meditation Program appeared first on EastWesticism.
7 Ugly Truths About 2-Minute Meditation Nobody’s Telling You
Whether it’s losing weight, getting rich, or becoming enlightened, countless people are selling get-it-quick schemes. With smartphones and smart TVs and Amazon, we’re so used to getting what we want when we want. We’ve become an instant gratification culture and many businesspeople are more than happy to cash in on that. But, here is the truth about 2-minute meditation that everyone should know about.
Right now, there’s people out there selling happiness and bliss in 2-minute, 1-minute, and even 5-second meditations. While it’s true that some is better than none, more is better than less.
It’s absolutely necessary, and I’d say vital, to take a few moments throughout the day to become centered and present. Take as many deep, conscious breaths as you can throughout the day. Take all the meditation moments you can and that you need throughout the day.
So while 2-minutes does have its benefits, if you stop there you will be missing out on some of the amazing benefits that longer meditation can provide.
Here are just 7 of the ugly truths about 2-minute meditation.
Ugly Truth #1: 2-Minute Meditation is Not Enough for Mind to Settle
Human beings are not robots. We don’t have a switch where we can go from our busy lives to a deep peaceful and relaxed state instantly.
The mind takes time to unwind. Many different meditation styles have practitioners sit for one or two minutes with their eyes closed before they begin their meditation. This allows the mind to settle a bit.
The first two minutes of a meditation are really just the mind settling in and quieting down. Then the real magic starts.
Even after 10 minutes, your mind enters new depths and the benefits expand. This is where your mind maybe screaming, “I’m bored!” But then, a few minutes later you forget all about the boredom and you’ve crossed over into a new depth. You are beginning to witness and also better understand the ever changing nature of the mind. These longer meditation experiences produce greater insights and wisdom, as well as more peace and patience in the practitioner.
Ugly Truth #2: Full Benefits Start at 20 MinutesStudy after study shows that 20 minutes is the real sweet spot for meditation. This is where all the benefits start to kick in.
It can be divided up into two 10-minute sessions. Or it can be done all at once.
In 20 minutes, greater inner peace and joy are reported. Study participants report having more energy and focus. And ultimately, happier and more fulfilling lives.
You’re welcome to meditate more than 20 minutes and many people choose to do so. It’s a very pleasant experience for them and it works for their schedule. But just 20 minutes a day can give you the infinite benefits that meditation has to offer.
Ugly Truth #3: 2-Minute Meditation Can Make You Lose Faith in Meditation
As modern human beings, time is money. We don’t have time to waste. If something doesn’t give us the results the we want, we quit doing that thing. It’s only natural.
That’s precisely the problem with snake-oil salesmen who push their miracle products. They’re wasting our valuable time on things that won’t work. Instead, we could be investing in ourselves in real ways that pay off huge.
Being burned too many times by misleading products and self-help solutions can lead to abandoning our journey of healing, growth and discovery.
The ancient practice of meditation was developed long before capitalism. It was also passed down for thousands of years simply because it worked marvels. And now, modern science is proving its benefits. It would be a shame to give up on something so transformative.
Ugly Truth #4: Ok to Start with 2-Minute Meditation, But Not to Do It Forever
If you are the most impatient, ADD person with an attention span the size of a goldfish’s (I’ve been there), 2-minute meditation may be for you. But, make sure that as your attention span and patience grow, so does the length of your meditation.
Starting with hour-long meditation can be just as futile as only doing 2 minutes. If you start off with too much, it won’t be sustainable and you may eventually quit. So starting off small and gradually increasing your time is a great way to go. This way, you’ll build up a strong habit and foundation for your daily practice.
Don’t increase your time too fast or too slowly. Listen to your heart when it comes to such things. It always knows best.
Ugly Truth #5: You Wouldn’t Train in the Gym for Only 2 Minutes
Sure, we’ve all seen the commercials. “Wear this miracle belt and lose weight while sitting on your couch eating Doritos.” Or, “Get a six pack in just 2-minutes a day.” “Lose weight on the doughnut diet!”
But the truth is, effort breeds results. There are no shortcuts for living a healthy and happy life. It takes eating well, moving around, sleeping well, building strong relationships, and also some time disconnecting, reflecting, and meditating.
Meditation is training for the mind. We train it to be more focused, creative, patient, and grateful. It also trains us to find peace and joy within. To be more loving, more mindful and more present.
That’s why 20 minutes isn’t just the bare minimum for cardiovascular exercise, but also for meditation.
Ugly Truth #6: The Mind Can’t Enter Low Brainwave Frequencies Where Deep Healing OccursWhen we sleep, our brains go through several stages of NREM and REM sleep. Similarly, when we meditate our brain goes through several stages as well.
Our brains are always producing brainwaves. These are divided up into five bands of wavelength: gamma, beta, alpha, theta and delta.
Beta brainwave frequency of our normal waking mind. When we start to meditate, our brain goes into alpha, which is slightly slower and occurs when our body and mind becomes relaxed.
As we continue meditating, our mind goes into theta, where creativity, insights, dreams, and a reduced consciousness occur.
If we continue meditating, we enter delta, where deep meditation, as well as dreamless sleep, occurs.
Gamma, which is actually the fastest frequency, even above beta, is where problem solving, altruism, and love occur. This can be reached by longtime meditators meditating on love and oneness.
The ugly truth is, 2-minute meditation can barely reach alpha brainwaves. While this may sound like pseudoscience, this is undisputed. Scientists can consistently stick electrodes to meditators’ heads and clearly see this change in brainwave frequency.
Ugly Truth #7: If 2-Minute Meditation Sounds Too Good to Be True…
If it sounds too good to be true… We all know the expression so I won’t even finish it.
There’s a big difference between what people want and what they actually need. What we want is advertised to us 24/7. But what we need, like fruits, vegetables and parks, never are.
This is the case with actual, 20-minute meditation. It’s not as glamorous. Results aren’t immediate. It’s not fun to do. It’s simply going to the gym for your mind. Only this gym won’t give you a 6-pack.
But I promise you, like anything else, you will get back more than you put in. Since everything we experience stems from our mind’s perception, meditation (mind training) is the most important thing any of us can do. It will give us the skills to cope, manage our emotions and become our own therapist.
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