M ahatma Gandhi best summed up the importance of meditation when he said: “I have so much to accomplish today that I have to medi- tate for two hours instead of one”. But who actually has the time? Still, a lot can change with just a slight shift in perspective on what it means to meditate, when, where and how you can do it. “If you can nd a place to sit on a commuter train, in a car or on a plane, you can by all means meditate as e ectively as you could at home,” says Light Watkins, a Los Angeles-based medi- tation coach. From a daily commute to work to a long-haul ight, he says there’s no bad place to meditate and reveals the most important things you need to know to do it yourself.
ZAPAMTITE, PRIPREMA JE KLJUČNA
Dođite na aerodrom ili železničku stanicu ranije i priuštite sebi dobrih 10 ili 15 minuta mirnog sedenja i du- bokog disanja. To je način resetova- nja i psihičkog i fizičkog priprema- nja za putovanje koje je pred vama. Ne samo da će to učiniti putovanje boljim već će vas učiniti manje nape- tim i prilagodljivijim ako se planovi izjalove. Meditacija će vam omogućiti da budete smireniji i manje iznervi- rani u slučaju odlaganja ili otkaziva- nja leta, na primer , predlaže Votkins. RADITE SA OKOLINOM, A NE PROTIV NJE „Kad smo pod velikim stresom, skloni smo zatvaranju u takozvanu vi- zuru tunela, što nas čini fokusiranim na pod, na prostor pravo ispred ili na tele- fon“, objašnjava Votkins naglašavajući važnost svesti o svom okruženju, o pa- žnji usmerenoj na ljude i mesta do de- talja, bilo da ste svesni temperature ili bilo kog drugog osećaja u svom telu. Naročito kada nemate luksuz da sedite dok putujete, pokušajte da zai- sta primetite stvari u blizini. To će vam probuditi svest o aktuelnom trenutku. Ako ste u kontaktu sa dobrim, zlim i ružnim što se događa oko vas u pre- punom autobusu ili metrou, od žesto- ke svađe do potpunog nedostatka lič- nog prostora i još ste u stanju da budete kontemplativni i ostvarite duševni mir, mnoge teške stvari će verovatno po- stati lakše. Što pre počnete sa vežba- njem da podesite svoj um i telo u hao- tičnom okruženju, to ćete biti otporniji u budućim situacijama. VEŽBOM DO SAVRŠENSTVA Iako su minuti, a ne sati mnogo realniji cilj u savremenom društvu, po- svećenost i doslednost su ključni za dugoročno iskorišćavanje prednosti meditacije. „Uvek kažem svojim klijentima, ona verzija vas koja meditira uvek će nadmašiti onu vašu verziju koja ne me- ditira. Ako meditaciju uvrstite u svoj naporan dan, shvatićete da ste u mo- gućnosti da stvari radite brže, a pri- tom mirnije i tačnije. Umesto da čeka- te dok ne pročitate određenu knjigu ili završite bilo koji drugi posao, ključno je da prestanete sa odlaganjem. Ura- dite to odmah. Meditirajte! Evo, poč- nite baš sada“, objašnjava Votkins.
FIRST AND FOREMOST, BREATHE
The irony of indulging in meditation during transport lies in the fact that it is itself packed with stress factors, especially if you are going to work, for example.
According to Watkins, the best trick for instant results is to sit down whenever possible and take 10 deep breaths over two to three minutes, which will create a noticeable shift in your state of mind. “If you nd yourself upset or over- whelmed while travelling, which is particularly common if you live in a busy city, controlling and regulating your breathing can lead to a meditative state even in that kind of environment,” he says.
Mahatma Gandhi best summed up the importance of meditation when he said: “I have so much to accomplish today that I have to meditate for two hours instead of one”. Mahatma Gandi je najbolje sažeo važnost meditacije kad je rekao: „Danas imam toliko toga da postignem da moram da meditiram dva sata umesto jednog“
REMEMBER, PREPARATION IS KEY
“Show up at the airport or train station early and give yourself a good 10 or 15 minutes of sitting quietly and tak- ing deep breaths,”Watkins advises. “It’s a way of resetting both mentally and physically in preparation for the jour- ney ahead. Not only will it make the journey better, it will make you less tense and more adaptable if your plans go awry. Meditation will allow you to be calmer and less an- noyed in the case of a ight delay or cancellation, for ex- ample,” he says.
WORK WITH YOUR ENVIRONMENT, NOT AGAINST IT
Especially when you don’t have the luxury of sitting while on your journey, try to start really noticing the things near you. It will bring you into a more present moment awareness. If you’re in touch with the good, the bad, and the ugly of what’s happening around you on a crowded bus or subway train, from a heated argument to a total lack of personal space, and still able to be contemplative and bring yourself peace of mind, a lot of di cult things are likely to
become easier. The sooner you start exercising to tune your mind and body in cha- otic environments, the more resilient you’ll be in future situations,”explains Watkins.
PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT
While it’s essential to note that minutes, as opposed to hours, is a much more realistic goal in modern society, dedication and consistency are key to reaping the bene ts of meditation long-term. “I always tell my clients, the meditating version of you is always going to out- perform the non-meditating version of you,” explains Watkins. “If you t medita- tion into your busy day, you’ll nd you’re able to do things faster while being calm- er and more accurate.” And rather than waiting until you’ve read a certain book or studied with a teacher or for the new year, it’s crucial to stop putting it o and just do it. Like, now.
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