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Mindfulness / Meditation

This is for you if:

There are many thoughts in your mind and you feel overwhelmed.
You want to process the different thoughts and feelings within you, but don't know where to begin.
You want to slow down your pace of life and live more mindfully.
You have heard about the benefits of mindfulness / meditation and would like to try it.

This is what you can do today:

Click to navigate:

Common question: If I can't quiet my mind, can I still meditate?

"The problem is not thoughts, it is following them. When you feel yourself moving toward an image, an idea, a past event, a plan for later or tomorrow, that is what you have to watch out for, not the thoughts themselves. When you get lost in thoughts, or hooked by the story, then bring the mind to the breath as a way of coming back to yourself.

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If you forget awareness, then you are no longer meditating. The breath is like an anchor that helps you to stay connected to awareness. As long as you do not forget awareness, then you can allow thoughts to come in an out like a swinging door.

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It is a common experience that when we try to calm the mind, the thoughts multiply. There aren't really more thoughts than before. We are just more aware of them.

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The first thing that happens when we begin to meditate is that we learn just how crazy our minds are. Many of us take that as a sign that we are not cut out for meditation. Actually, it is just the opposite. It's the first sign that we are becoming familiar with our own mind. It's a great insight." - Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche

Do it yourself:

Body scan and conscious breathing

[It would be useful to read this through 2-3 times before starting so you don't have to keep referring to it. After a few rounds, you will get the idea.]
Find a quiet space and a comfortable seat (I like to sit cross legged on a yoga block; some people prefer to sit on a cushion and lean against the wall - whatever rocks your boat! Even an office chair works)
Close your eyes gently
Release any tension around your eyes (try not to squint), in between your eyebrows (try not to frown), in your jaw (try not to clench your teeth)
Let your shoulders drop (try not to shrug your shoulders)
Do a body scan (Bring your attention to the body parts, without feeling a need to pass any judgement):
- Notice your head: Your scalp, the space between your eyebrows, the back of your eyes, your nose, your lips, your tongue, your jaw
- Notice your torso: Your neck, your shoulders, your collarbone, your chest, your belly
- Notice your arms: Your shoulder joints, your upper arm, your elbows, your lower arm, your wrists, your knuckles, your fingers
- Notice your lower body: Your hips, your pelvis, your glutes, your thighs, your knees, your calves, your ankles, your toe knuckles, your toes
Fully relax and deepen your breath
Begin to count you breaths: Inhale for 4, 3, 2, 1 ; Exhale for 4, 3, 2, 1
Continue breathing this way until you would like to end the practice
It is normal for thoughts to come up. Think of them as bubbles - notice them, then gently pop them.

Try guided meditation using a meditation app: Insight timer

There are many meditation apps in the market - some free and some paid.
Insight timer is my favourite (and it is FREE) because:
- It is available for iOS, Android, and web
- If you're looking for guided meditations: It has the world's largest library of free guided meditations with 150,000 tracks from psychologists, spiritual leaders and mindfulness teachers
- If you prefer a quiet meditation: You can use the meditation timer where you can set intermittent bells, calming ambient noise, or soothing music
- If you want to work on breath work as part of your meditation: You can explore a range of different breath work techniques guided by certified teachers
There is no reason to not download Insight timer and try it today!

Take a free meditation course

1. Free 10-day trial for Joy of Living meditation course (by Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche)

I personally resonate with the meditation teachings of Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche, in large part because of how much he emphasises that meditation can and should be part of our everyday life
To get a sense of his teachings to see if it resonates, watch this short TED talk here

2. Free meditation mini course (by Tsoknyi Rinpoche)

This completely free course gives you a taste of Tsoknyi Rinpoche's meditation teachings, which focus on integrating (i) grounded body; (ii) warm heart; and (iii) clear mind
You have the option to pay for full access of the courses if you're interested in delving deeper into his teachings beyond the mini course

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