4 Meditation Techniques That Can Be Done With Your Routine Activities

Meditation is an ancient practice that establishes a deep connection between your body, mind and soul and temporarily disconnects you from the material world.

There are various forms of meditation and it is largely practised by people for relaxation, building inner energy, stamina, patience, increasing concentration levels, forgiveness, controlling emotions or simply to express gratitude for the life given.

It is said that when Buddha was asked what he has gained from meditation, then replied with a smile that the question should be what he has actually lost from meditation. He said he lost anger, anxiety, depression, fear of old age, insecurity and death. What you get from meditation is a lesson to live life peacefully without rushing towards achieving materialistic success.

In the current age, life is getting busier day by day for people of all age groups and everyone is having their share of work load and stress. People hardly have time to sit back and meditate to give their mind a respite from the accumulated strain. Moreover, people are gradually getting aware of the amazing benefits of meditation but their schedule is so tight that they hardly can allot a peaceful time for it.

So if you too are suffering from a whirlpool of stress in your mind and have a busy schedule, then you need to read these 4 meditation techniques that can be done with your routine activities:

1. Waterfall Meditation

As per Buddhists, water signifies purity, sacredness, calmness and is capable of cleansing our mind and soul. But you surely cannot go on a quest to search a waterfall and meditate when you actually have a busy day ahead. So you can enjoy the relaxation of a waterfall meditation at the comfort of your home – under your shower in this way:

Relax your mind and prepare it to meditate under the shower. Take a few deep breaths and turn on the shower. Now feel the pleasant water flowing down from your head reaching the face, neck and shoulders. Try to feel the soothing relaxation of the flowing water sprinkling on your arms, back and torso. Feel the calmness of the ambience and the enchanting sound of the water. Enjoy the water when it reaches down on your legs and feet. Concentrate on the fragrance of the soap or shower gel and let the peacefulness be felt in every vein of yours. Let the negativity and harsh feelings wash off from your mind.

Then imagine a white healing light coming from the shower along with the water and imagine that it is penetrating inside you deeply. Feel the energy that is rejuvenating your senses.

2. Mindfulness Meditation

Mindfulness is the intentional and non-judgemental focus on one’s attention, emotions and thoughts at any point of time that can be trained with the help of mindfulness meditation. This meditation is extremely helpful in getting rid of stress, anxiety, depression and helps in bringing a good balance of mind and emotions. Of all the various postures used to practise mindfulness meditation, you can practice the walking posture so that your routine work is also not hampered:

You must choose a road which you frequently take while going to the nearby market or restaurant so that you don’t need to focus on changing the route or asking for directions. Take gentle breaths and have the strong determination of practicing the meditation. Start walking at a slower pace than usual and keep your mind concentrated on your steps. Try to feel the heaviness of your body and the rigidity of the ground. Now start focusing on each of your movements and say in your mind, ‘Lifting, stepping forth, shifting weight, slowing down, stopping, turning right and so on. You will improve your concentration level and when you reach your destination, express your gratitude towards the practice.

3. Loving Kindness Meditation

Loving Kindness meditation is a practise that brings about positive attitudinal changes in a person by acting as a self-psychotherapy that helps in healing a troubled mind. It is a unique kind of meditation that produces four qualities of love – friendliness, appreciative joy, compassion and equanimity. For practising this, you need to first learn to love yourself. You are the unique creation of God and you need to have respect and love for yourself first. When commuting to your office or coming back home, you can practise this meditation in the following manner:

Settle yourself properly in your seat and sit straight. Maintain a soft look in front of you and take relaxing breaths. Prepare your mind to perform this meditation and keep your mind calm. Focus in the moment while breathing gently. Don’t let your mind divert. Start the meditation by saying to yourself that may you be a better human being and a kind person. Then think about one of your family members and wish good things for them and then think about your friend. Think about his/ her positive qualities and ask for their well being. Now think about a person you dislike and think about one good quality they have. Wish that they have a good outlook towards you and others and wish for their good health. Similarly, think about three or four persons each time you do this meditation so that you complete it before reaching your destination and at the same time, you feel light at heart.

Also read: Why Should We Meditate Daily?

4. Grounding Meditation

The grounding meditation is a practice that helps to align your energies with the earth’s energies resulting in providing you with peace, calm and a refreshed feeling. This guided meditation is done through visualisation and helps you to focus in the present moment. This kind of meditation is best practiced in the gardens by placing your back against the tree so that you absorb the nature’s energy too. So while you have put your laundry in the washing machine or getting your dinner ready in the microwave, utilise this time to practice grounding meditation:

Find a peaceful place at your home that is warm, smells fresh and where the lighting is not sharp. Make sure that there is silence when you meditate. Wear loose and comfortable clothes and sit with feet on the floor and take gentle breaths. Inhale slowly from your nose and release from your mouth for 10 times. After this, inhale deeply and feel the air reaching deep down in your belly and feel it expanding. Close your eyes while breathing deeply and imagine yourself getting grounded just like the trees’ roots get deeper and deeper inside the earth. Now imagine that you are drawing some positive energies from the ground just like the roots get nutrients from the soil and water. Imagine that this energy is moving up from your feet to your spine and it is expanding like that of a tree trunk. Now just like the branches of the tree, spread your hands up and feel that energy reaching your hands, neck and head. Concentrate on that feeling and come back to the original position and enjoy the soothing feeling.