Get Your Ass Out of the Chair and Sit!

​No seriously. Get out of your chair, stand up from your desk and sit. Every single day. Maybe twice a day if possible. But definitely once a day. If you do so, you’ll notice with time, you’ll stop stressing about red lights when you’re late. You won’t road rage as much. You will stop worrying so much about everything. You will see that things are what they are.

Things are what they are. And that is ok.

So, get up, and sit down. Oh sorry. To meditate, that is. Sit your butt down and meditate. It doesn’t matter what kind of meditation you do. It doesn’t even really matter for how long. And you don’t really have to sit down to do it, but it is more comfortable. I write a lot about meditation in my blog posts, because I know that meditation is one of the best ways to train the brain to be mindful.

Mindfulness involves taking your thoughts and emotions and seeing them in a non-judgmental way. When you are mindful you become more in control of your thoughts and emotions. That’s not to say you become a control freak. No, in fact, you don’t control things and even become comfortable with the fact that you cannot control things. Actually, you realize that you can things “happen” to you without it actually affecting who you are or how you react.

Mindfulness will help you maintain your true identity and sovereignty in the face of life’s up’s and down’. And as I’ve written before (right here) , mindfulness will not make you a numb robot. In fact, you are able to engage more with the world because you are no longer afraid of reactions from others, afraid of your own thoughts and feelings, and can see them for what they are: thoughts and emotions. Meditation is a fabulous exercise to help you train your brand to be mindful.

Here are different kinds of meditation you can try:

1. Zen Meditation: This kind of meditation involves sitting, being still, and observing the breath and mind. It is based on Buddhism and is usually guided by a teacher that bases his or her teachings on the teachings of Buddhism.

2. Transcendental Meditation: Maharishi Mehesh Yogi founded this kind of meditation. You know, the kind the Beatles did? TM uses a mantra that is silently vibrated in the mind (you say it in your head) and repeated, while also focusing on the breath. The unique thing about this type of meditation is that each student receives his or her own personal mantra that is based on a combination of factors, including date of birth. Downside? You have to go to a teacher to get (and purchase) the mantra.

3. Kundalini Yoga: Founded by Yogi Bhajan, this kind of meditation is actually an entire yoga school. This involves yoga kriyas (yoga sets) including yoga poses that are very dynamic with lots of continuous movement, chanting mantras, and various breathing techniques. The point here is to activate the kundalini energy that lies dormant at the base of our spines. When our kundalini energy is activated, it is said to bring an awakening that is gradual and gentle.

4. Mindfulness Meditation: This kind of meditation was made very popular by Jon-Kabat-Zinn and has become a kind of child prodigy. Now, all kinds of people are doing mindfulness meditation, and it is even being used as a therapeutic technique for a wide variety of psychological illnesses at medical centers around the world. This is usually offered in an 8-week class called, Mindfulness-base Stress Reduction (MBSR). In 8 weeks you learn the body scan, sitting meditation, a little yoga, and other daily mindfulness exercises that I often talk about here. This is my personal favorite because it really is about integrating a mindfulness into all aspects of your life: not just meditating each day, but being mindful while eating, parenting, driving, working, showering, etc. But I'm not going to dis on the other kinds. Just try them!

There are so many different meditation techniques out there, but these are the most known and popular kinds. The benefits of all meditation are pretty much the same (read here).

So, go ahead, get your butt up and sit for a meditation! Just try it! Some of these are ok to try by yourself, but others (kundalini yoga, for example) should be done with a trained and certified teacher.

What kind of meditation have you already tried before? If you already meditate regularly, what kind do you do? Comment below!